Big box buying spree adds urgency to national child care debate

With the Campbell Liberals refusing to stop the spread of big box child care across British Columbia, parents and child care activists are looking for action. Australian multinational child care corporation ABC Learning is seeking to expand into Canada by purchasing child care centres, starting in BritishColumbia, Ontario and Alberta. CUPE President Paul Moist and NDP child care critic Olivia Chow will hold a news conference calling on the federal and provincial governments to stop moving down this dangerous path and support a national not-for-profit child care program.

The Belleville Intelligencer wants us to believe that there is nothing to fear? Oh yes there is.....a looming presence on the horizon in Canada is a corporate day-are centres called 123 Busy Beavers that has a plan to buy existing commercial day care providers and, using its company model and resources, operate them as a chain across Canada. It has sent more than shudders through the ranks of proponents of government-run, non-profit day care as they see the emergence of 123 Busy Beavers as a threat. The operator of a local Belleville non-profit centre told The Intelligencer she is extremely concerned about having a large conglomerate taking over the child care sector in a community. "Having a large chain, you get a