The YWCA is concerned about the impact on families now that a private child care operator in the metro region is seeking creditor protection.

Pitter Patter operates 259 child care spaces at four locations in the metro region, and the latest development has advocates concerned, not just for families, but ECEs employed there as well.

The YWCA recently completed a province-wide project seeking changes in the provincial child care landscape.

Child Care at Work is focused on improving equitable access to child care in Newfoundland and Labrador.

YWCA Executive Director Maria Gentle says relying on a private, for-profit operator model leaves families and children at risk of losing access to child care, and government should be doing more to foster the expansion of not-for-profit child care.

She says YWCA Canada recently commissioned Environics to conduct a survey of Canadians on the use of non-profits to help with the expansion of child care.

“The results are astounding,” says Gentle. “Regardless of voters’ political stripes, regardless of individual need, the support of public child care and child care programming, is very high.”