Campus Daycare in Crisis by STEPHEN WISENTHAL Ren, Not All of Whom Will Use Daycare

THE - -••1 UBYSSEY Vol. IV, No. 7 August 14-20, 1985 228-2301 >•*.-» »- *• Campus daycare in crisis By STEPHEN WISENTHAL ren, not all of whom will use daycare. She describes the cooperative man (raising funds for) daycare," adding ties have started on campus even U BC's daycare is thriving but time Another Acadia co-supervisor, agement and separate individual id she hopes other parts of the campus though the need has continued to is running out to find a new place to James Hutchinson, also likes the entity of the facilties as a crucial fac such as alumni and staff will help. grow. There has been a move to put it. daycare building he works in, one of tor. "I'm concerned that we maintain "Parents who are paying $300 - build more daycare ever since then," The childcare at UBC is known several in the same area to the south that individuality," she says. 500 a month for daycare cannot he says, adding for the last several across North America and beyond east of campus. He appreciates the "That's the reason why some of raise enough to build a new build years UBC daycare has been com but the 1940 vintage army huts that custom work such as half walls and them are considered the best in the ing," she says. pletely full with a long waiting list keep the rain off the children's heads other play areas which parents have city," she says. "Our staff are very Holubitsky says the current push equal to the number of spaces. will have to be abandoned in two built over the years but still wants to good and they like working here; for new daycare buildings started For the moment he is sticking to and a half years by order of the fire see it replaced. there is a low turnover." after 1983 when the fire marshal fundraising to replace the existing marshal. "They're falling to pieces," he says. She adds the location by the en gave the buildings a "five year only daycare. But if Don Holubitsky, a UBC "It would be nice to have new build dowment lands is ideal for bud and extension" following $200,000 in "What we are trying to do is graduate student and daycare fun ings." tadpole hunting expeditions which work to bring them closer to fire within a limited budget of $1 million draising comittee of one, is correct, UBC Daycare coordinator Mab enrich the day for children. code. replace all the existing facilities in UBC should have a $l million day Oloman looks after 11 separate day She has her own list of problems Daycare first appeared at UBC in the simplest construction that will be care centre by early next year to care units including four centres for with the existing facility, starting 1967 when parents set the precedent fully functional," he says, adding replace the decaying huts. children 18 months to three years with the plumbing which has no of forminga non-profit society under money for expansion can be raised Holubitsky, who also sits on the old, five for ages three to five, a pre pressure. "You can't clean your hands the provincial childcare act called later. Board of Governors and the AMS school for three to four year olds and and brush your teeth at the same UBC Kindercare Society. This was He says less than one per cent of Capital Projects Acquisition Com an after school centre for University time," she says. followed by Acadia, Units I and II, students have a child in daycare at mittee, says the AMS has already Hill school students. Of the approx Last December the staff in some Canada Goose, Tillicum, Summer any one time but it is still a worth guaranteed $350,000 for new day imately 275 students in centres she of the daycares found rats eating the of '73, Lilliput, and Pentacare day while student project. care buildings from the CPAC re manages, about 225 are in buildings corners off the mats, added Oloman. cares and finally University Hill after "I think students can support it serve fund and he expects the other which will have to be abandoned by She says she is "really grateful to the school care, founded in 1976. because it's a socially enlightened $650,000 from various sources to be 1987. AMS for taking up the challenge of "Since 1976 no new daycare facili- project." raised within the next few months. Sixty per cent of children in day Acadia Daycare co-supervisor care have student parents while 20 Judy McMurter likes the large, col per cent are faculty children and the ourful complex of remodelled army remaining 20 per cent are children of huts with a big yard where she. along staff. with three other co-workers, looks "I have asked the faculty associa after 25 three to six year old children. tion and the unions to become in "1 think this is the best (facility) in volved in funding the daycare," he the city," she says, adding the ample says. inside and outside space make it He says he thinks the funding will ideal for looking after active kids be in place this fall. and probably couldn't be replaced in "One of the main support groups a new building. "I personally like has been the Alumni Association. thi-ild facility better ... when you They are considering the proposal of want o stick a nail in the wall you funding daycare with matching dol can." lars to the ($350,000) student contri The bu'ding she is in. which only bution," he says. passes fire inspection because of AMS designer Michael Kingsmill, special expensive fire retardant paint a U BC architecture student who has on the walls, will be among the first been working with daycare designs, daycare units demolished when con is enthusiastic about the potential of struction starts this fall on a new the daycare project. student family housing development "It's probably the most exciting on the site. The housing project will project I could imagine," he says. replace 20 existing units with 164 "It's parameters are being a child." See page 2: UBC new ones with up to 216 more child CHILDREN.enjoying daycare juice and cookies Page 2 The Summer Ubyssey August 14-20, 1985 UBC daycare units will each maintain separate identities From page 1 block along Acadia Road and each vement of parents in the manage design decisions have been reached. money when we know the users are, He has done extensive research daycare unit will be 1800 - 2000 ment of their own daycare. If the Alumni Association executive dir- • contributing," Spinner says. into design requirements for child square feet in inside floor area, building is "like an institution it ector Dan Spinner said he is delight Daycare committee chair Neil Rise care and praises the quality of care at roughly the size of a three bedroom promotes an attitude that whenever ed with the daycare proposal and brough, UBC associate" vice-pres UBC. house. By law each 18 months to there's anything wrong you just look his organization is quite interested in ident student services, says "within "It is a facility of high renown and three years unit must have no more to the big caretaker," he says. the project but wouldn't decide ex two months we should have the final you have to do equal or better," he than 12 children and at least three actly what to do until a committee (funding) committments that we One plan he mentioned is to create says. "You can't just put up ATCO staff and each over three unit can meeting in early September. need." a street pattern through the site with trailers." have 25 children and four profes "If it wasn't for the students tak different buildings along the way. He says the provincial law calls sional staff. He said he had received a letter of ing the initiative here then we would "We could develop one house as a for three square meters per child The law won't allow more than encouragement about supporting day be having a very difficult time." town hall... another as a fire station inside and seven outside but he is three units to be joined together and care from President pro-tem Robert He says he is certain alternate in an environment that is a safe "using a design standard of almost Kingsmill says he wants to keep all Smith but added it would be better.if facilities can be found for the Acadia replica of the real thing." three times that." the units separate so they can main users and connected bodies such as daycare when they lose their build The space for daycare is a long tain their individual identity. Kingsmill doesn't see starting im faculty and staff chipped- in. ing in the fall. "It's a lot easier for us to raise rectangle about the size of half a city He wants to maintain the invol mediately and points out no final He pointed out UBC has the larg est daycare of any university in Canada. Graham, a child at Acadia day care, said he liked the saws, the By hook or by crook, by hammers and the wood axe at the crime or by slime, the Ubys centre. His mother said. "I'm really sad sey is gonna get you. You this build ing is doomed."add ing she had only been associated with Aca think frat house initiation is dia for a few months and was very tough and demands a great impressed.

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