Premier Dennis Fentie is telling parents and child care providers to 'stay tuned' for future announcements about funding the day care system.

'We're about to deliver,' Fentie told the Star after Wednesday's question period, where the Liberals grilled the government on the issue.

'Child care providers are in desperate need of assistance,' said Liberal Leader Arthur Mitchell.

'Parents are in need of assistance, and some of these parents are not in a financial position to absorb any more of this burden.'

There is an immediate need in the day care system the government must address, said Mitchell.

'Telling us how much they've done in the past doesn't get us anywhere,' he said. 'They are still saying they need more funding. The fact is that people are still struggling.'

Health and Social Services Minister Brad Cathers responded to Mitchell's questions in the legislature by listing off the achievements of the Yukon Party in child care during its 2002-2006 mandate.

The governing party has put forward the largest child care investment of any government, he said. The total investment into child care per year is $5.3 million.

The government is now committed to moving forward with a five-year plan to address the priorities in the system and create sustainability, he said.

The Yukon Party has now been back in power for more than seven months, said Mitchell, and has demonstrated no sense of urgency around day care.

'This is not all that complicated: give immediate financial relief through an increase in the childcare operating grant to licensed childcare centres and family day homes, increase the subsidy to qualifying parents, and then go to work on your integrated approach and long-term plan,' he said.

The government seems to want to study the matter to death while it has surplus net financial resources it could be using to start addressing the issue, he added.

Day care must be looked at through the lens of education, said Mitchell.

'It's no longer just somebody to make sure kids don't wander into the streets. It's not babysitting.'

He said changes have to be made to address the rate of pay given to workers and to increase their retention rate.

The government is already looking into options for increasing the number of day care workers and training opportunities, said Fentie.

Helping parents access the system and creating more spaces is the main plank of the Yukon Party's commitment, he added.

The governing party is building on what was achieved in its first mandate, he said.

'In the very near future, we'll be coming forward with announcements on how we're going to move forward on many of these commitments,' he said.