Rural Child Care Project

              THE PROJECT THAT FAILED
It may be useful to examine the project
that failed. When the committee chose
Spring Projects we gave this one full
marks. They had plans to continue
when our support ceased, " we hope to
participate in joint fund raisers ( with
Agriculture Society) such as dances,
suppers, bingos, etc. and use the
proceeds for child care." They planned
farm safety courses, CPR for wives etc..
They had a permanent room fully
equipped to accommodate 30 children
in the basement of the Agriculture
Society Hall 25 miles Northwest of
town. They had been in operation and
self supporting for three years as, " a
rural indoor playground to enable our
rural children to interact with their
peers before entering into the school
system." They had 2 care givers who
were also program co- ordinators.
As a rural indoor playground their
hours had been standard and
predictable. When they tried to make
the transition to rural child care they
found that the odd hours and
unpredictable number of children did
not work under the same format. The
care givers could not cope with these
odd hours and the unpredictable
number of children. The parents found
that taking the kids to the hall along
with food and provisions used too
much valuable time. The letter that we
finally received reads in part.
" The only way of helping farm families
with young children would be to make
looking after children and household
work so it would be tax deductible the
same way a hired man would be. I feel
that the project would only work with a
sitter to come in. If I am running the
kids to some place else I still have
lunches, laundry etc. I don't end up
being of that much assistance in the
field work. To take the time to run the
kids to a centre 5 or 10 miles away was
a waste of valuable time. Ifs very hard
to hire someone to work hours that we
would recommend. Some farmer would
be done, it might rain or crop would not
be ready so we would be hiring a sitter
for only 2 children some days and other
days we would have 10 children so then
we would have to take the time to look
for 2 sitters."
Alberta Rural Child Care Pilot Project
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