Rural Child Care Project

              Less stress, able to do without hired
man whose care with machinery is
never as great as ones' own. Supported
each other and felt luncheon / workshop
was valuable for support and ideas.
Worked hard to maintain project and
without co- operation it would have
fallen apart.
FCSS member sat in on projects and
offered most support. Some criticism
from older farm women, " raised our
kids alone why can't you."
Have had a Farm Equipment Clinic,
Occupational Health and Safety
speaker, Combine Safety Clinic and
have had or plan First A i d , CPR and
other courses. Feel their family life and
marital relations have benefited greatly
and many of them have grown in
organizational, communication and
social ability since they began meeting.
More confidence in themselves,
husbands have more confidence in
them.
" Funding for this type of project could
be made available from Farm
Equipment companies, Agriculture
based companies, e. g. herbicide and
insecticide manufacturers, Grain
Companies, UFA..."
" No hired man in the house and no
extra person to cook and clean for. It
gave us back our privacy. Less
breakdowns because we have more
respect for the machines than an
employee has."
" Some people think that even' farm
family has a grandma or an aunt close
by. We live about 100 miles from our
closest relatives."
' Urban population should know that
child care is as much a necessity and
reality to rural family life as it is to
urban family life."
Disappointed in lack of support and
interest from FCSS and DHE. No
negative comments from community,"
not many people would say that a
child's safety is not important."
Definitely enhanced family life, less
stress and uncertainty, able to
concentrate with no distractions or
worries." My husband felt better about
asking me to help knowing I didn't
have to drag the kids along or leave
them unattended. No two farm
operations are the same so what works
for one won't work for another. Child
care on the farm puts me in control of
the situation rather than the situation
controlling me."
There is another group of parents that
need assistance. Women working off the
farm to help pay for the land or just to
keep the operation afloat. " Their work
is as important to the farm as is mine.
Perhaps a tax credit or some other form
of tax assistance would be worth
looking into."
" You only have to sit on a piece of
machinery for one day with little ones
crying and nagging to go home to know
that this project was worth every penny
and every ounce of work."
Alberta Rural Child Care Pilot Project
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