'There are absolutely outstanding care providers in the city, but there are also monsters,' says advocateMayor Jyoti Gondek speaks with Jen Woolfsmith, centre, and Shelby Stewart, right, after the two advocates for safer child care in Alberta presented at a public hearing on Thursday.
"If I concentrate really hard, I can feel her sitting in my lap, snuggled and close to me," she said. While there is no data on the number of licensed to unlicensed day homes in Calgary, Statistics Canada reported in 2021 that 62 per cent of child-care providers in Alberta were unlicensed and home-based.After her daughter's death, Woolfsmith co-founded Mackenzy's Legacy, a grassroots advocacy group founded in memory of Mackenzy.
"I am a police officer and thought I knew what to look for, and in this case, I missed all the signs."Both Stewart and Woolfsmith stressed at the public hearing how day-home providers need further supports to ensure safety standards are met. "There are absolutely outstanding care providers in the city, but there are also monsters. My dream with Mackenzy's Legacy is to create a system where the outstanding providers have the opportunity to thrive and the monsters are no longer able to watch our children."Mayor Jyoti Gondek and other councillors brought forward the motion to review unlicensed child care in the city last September.
Credentials that any politician is NOT required to have! 😂
Just to clarify this is specifically referring to private day homes. There are quite a few dayhome operators like myself that have always run through an agency, and have all of the checks done on a regular basis, for everyone over 18 in the house. Plus monthly monitoring visits.
Surprised in 2022 day homes are not licensed. It’s unfortunate that no amount of background checks or business licenses will stop abusers. Take LTC for one example or foster care. Staff in these roles must have vulnerable sector checks yet the abuse is rampant. 🥺 Yyc
Ffs they should already have background checks.
they aren't regulated ?! I don't even have children but that sounds ridiculous
I cannot believe these rules were not in place. This shows complete negligence on the municipal and provincial authorities. The media needs to hold them to account. The media should have reported this years ago and made a huge deal about it.