Monday June 20 2022
When CUPW used the Child Care Fund to open the CUPW Family Resource Centre in St. John’s, Newfoundland, in 1996, it was the only province in the country where child care, in a provider’s home, was completely unregulated. CUPW wanted to change this.
We worked with the broader child care community to develop regulations to ensure that family child care providers attached to the CUPW Resource Centre would promote the health, safety and well-being of the children in their care. These regulations became a model for family home child care and were subsequently enacted by the province. The CUPW Resource Centre became the first provincially licensed family home child care agency and incorporated as Family and Child Care Connections-CUPW-FRC Inc (FCCC).
FCCC recruits, screens, trains, monitors and supports family child care providers. It operates playgroups for caregivers and parents, provides caregiver transportation to playgroups and delivers workshops and training sessions. Caregivers and CUPW parents can drop in whenever they want. In fact, it is at FCCCs that the St. John’s local holds its annual easter egg hunt and other family-oriented gatherings for its members.
“The growth that FCCC is experiencing right now seems surreal. After so many years of advocating for recognition and support for FCCC, it is finally within reach, and it is a very exciting and rewarding time for all involved. (Arleen Critch – CUPW St. John’s local).
FCCC ACHIEVES ANOTHER MILESTONE
In July 2021, the Coordinator of FCCC, Valerie Collins attended the announcement by Justin Trudeau in St. John’s, NL of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Plan and the Federal/NL Child Care Agreement. She was invited to meet with NL Minister of Education, Tom Osbourne, about FCCC becoming the province-wide licensed home child care agency.
“This is a very exciting time for FCCC. We are anticipating much growth for the next three years. We are thrilled to be part of the plan to offer quality, accessible, affordable child care to all families in our province” (Valerie Collins, Coordinator FCCC).
New FCCC offices will be established in Central NL, Avalon peninsula and in Labrador. An important part of this expansion will be to establish licensed home child care in rural and remote parts of the province.
This is another proud moment for the CUPW Child Care Fund and one of its very first child care projects!
“This is great news – since 1996 CUPW has been the leader in developing better resources and conditions for our members and other families in St. John’s and Corner Brook. FCCC has had a positive influence on government understanding about what quality licensed home child care should look like”. (Craig Dyer, President St. John’s local)
In Solidarity,