If elected Oct. 11, the Liberal party would make changes to legislation to improve early learning and childcare in the territory, two local candidates announced today.

Cully Robinson, the hopeful for Whitehorse West, and Cherish Clarke, the candidate for Takhini-Kopper King, said a Liberal government would legislate the direct operating grant for day homes and daycares, making it permanent and indexed to account for inflation.

The territorial grants, currently provided to operators based in part on enrolment, "exist on the whim of the government,” Robinson said.

About $4.5 million a year is being spent on the grant.

While a Liberal government would spend about the same amount of money, Robinson said, making the funding more reliable would help encourage more people to get involved in the field.

"We rely a great deal on small business owners to provide this care in licensed facilities that are overseen by government inspectors,” he said.

"To take on that liability of providing a residence, of hiring staff, of training staff, of investing your time into these home ... is very difficult.”

The government would also work to ensure that parents of special needs children are not charged more for childcare, by improve existing programs which help offset costs, Clarke said.

The Yukon is in dire need of more daycare spaces, Robinson said.

"We know that day home operators and childcare systems have parents crying to get in, and we also know that the costs are prohibitive for many families.”

Robinson said he doesn't know exactly how many new spaces the territory needs.

"We don't know; we don't know if the government knows. What we do know is that daycare operators who are talking to us have said that they are maxed out and that they often can't offer spaces to families that feel they are in crisis.

"We heard time and again that people feel very lucky when they get a good space, when they get an operation that they are happy with and that it was a struggle for them to find that.”

Having children in proper daycare has a positive effect on the community in the future, the candidates said.

"We know that children do better in school, that they're less of a strain on the social network, on the justice network, if we provide them with comprehensive childcare at an early age,” said Robinson. He is a former public school principal and the current director of education with the Carcross-Tagish First Nation.

Raising the number of childcare spaces available would increase economic productivity around the territory, Robinson said.

"The productivity wherever young families, young parents, are working is going to be increased if their minds are relieved about the care for their children.”

The Liberals have also promised to provide $100,000 a year in funding to support the training and retention of daycare workers who want to develop their careers in childcare.

A Liberal government would also modify the child subsidy policy to prevent child support payment from being considered as income, Clarke said.

"This will ensure fairness for all circumstances and all people looking for childcare.”

Generally, she said, "It would be a Liberal government's goal to make childcare spaces available to all Yukon families who wish to have one. We would work collaboratively with Yukon parents, educators and the federal government to achieve this goal.”

Said Robinson: "I'm proud to be part of a team that makes early learning and childcare a priority. A Liberal government will be here for Yukoners by giving families the tools they need to succeed.”

Early-morning press conferences have become a daily event for the Liberals since the election was called last Friday.

Yukoners will go to the polls Oct. 11.

By ASHLEY JOANNOU

Star Reporter