Home > PSP > Director Military Family Services > Enhancement of the MFSP > Child Care
Seeking Solutions for Child Care Challenges
Sharing creative ideas, discussing best practices and collaborating on a vision for a Canadian Forces (CF) Family Child Care Strategy is how participants at the CF Child Care Symposium spent two dynamic days discussing challenges and solutions for the child care issues faced by military families.
The Symposium was held from 1-2 May 2009 at the Harbour Towers Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia. It was jointly run by the CF Child Care Advisory Committee, Director Military Family Services (DMFS) and the Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC). The 90 participants included military spouses, CF personnel, and MFRC and DMFS staff from across the country.
Catherine Priestman, CF Child Care Advisory Committee member and parent, opened the Symposium with a lively presentation.
“We should feel confident that child care will be available and consistent across all of our postings,” she said in her address. “We have an opportunity to make the CF child care strategy a leader in Canada. This is groundbreaking – if we nail this, we could lay the groundwork for a national child care policy.”
Catherine also reviewed the work done to date by the Advisory Committee and DMFS: identifying CF families’ unique needs and current CF child care issues; reviewing available research; identifying the operational benefits of a comprehensive child care strategy for the CF; and beginning the development of a vision for a CF child care strategy.
Next at the podium, DMFS National Manager, Policy and Program Development Laurie Ogilvie presented proposed enhancements to the Military Family Services Program’s Emergency Child Care, Emergency Respite Child Care and Casual Child Care mandated services. Laurie also described the pilot projects that are currently underway at selected MFRCs that will improve these services’ accessibility and consistency.
The duration of the Symposium was devoted to hearing from parents and MFRC child care staff. Parents shared their personal experiences with the unique challenges posed by frequent postings and deployments, especially with accessing quality child care on short notice. Building on these discussions, participants provided their suggestions for enhancing the current mandated services. All were united in their desire for a full range of child care services based on the principles of quality, accessibility and consistency.
The Symposium closed with Laurie reinforcing DMFS’ commitment to making immediate improvements to mandated child care services and to developing a CF Family Child Care Strategy.
Between now and November 2009, DMFS committed to completing the pilot projects, compiling best practices, and revising the policies for Emergency Child Care and Emergency Respite Child Care. By January 2010, DMFS will provide recommendations to Chief Military Personnel to enhance the Family Care Plan, expand child care capacity, and work on policies to engage parents and partners.
“Concurrently, we will do the necessary research and development to advocate for the designation of child care as a mandated service, with national standards, accreditation and resources,” Laurie said.
Ongoing communication with parents and child care staff is crucial to the development of a CF Family Child Care Strategy. An online discussion forum will be established for families to continue to share their experiences and ideas with DMFS to ensure that our strategy is responsive and effective.
Click here to read the Summary of Participant Recommendations.
Click on the links below to view the Child Care Symposium Presentation Slides:
Education and Employment Presentation
Deployment Resources Presentation
Above photos: Child Care Advisory Committee member Catherine Priestman and Esquimalt MFRC Children's Services Coordinator Scott Branch.
