Barnabas decries child care underfunding

Quttiktuq MLA Levi Barnabas says the underfunding of child care in Nunavut means child care centres face a daily struggle just to keep their facilities open.

“Due to mismanagement, or improper budgeting, [some] have run out of funds to heat the buildings,” he said in the legislature last week.

Education Minister Ed Picco reminded the legislature that every new school in Nunavut is supposed to be built with a child care centre or space reserved for child care.

The department plans to spread $600,000 of federal money around Nunavut’s 39 child care centres and seven Aboriginal Head Start programs — but that could be the last chunk of money if Stephen Harper’s plan to give money directly to parents for child care goes through.