Office of the Official Opposition
Unacceptable Delays in Teacher and Childcare Payments: Dinn
For Immediate Release
(July 12, 2024, St. John’s, N.L.): Paul Dinn, PC MHA for Topsail-Paradise and Shadow Minister for Education, cannot fathom how the Furey Liberal Government has failed to pay teachers, teacher assistants, and childcare providers on time.
Dinn was responding to stories this week indicating many childcare operators are still waiting for Operating Grant payments for the period ending June 30th.
“I have received several calls from childcare providers who do not have the resources to continue operating without this government payment,” said Dinn. “I’ve also heard from parents who are astounded that operators are expected to carry on as normal or increase their debt load just to keep their doors open. Parents expect the best care for their children, and childcare operators, along with Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) expect timely payment for providing programs, services, and care.”
In the media, one local operator indicated they would have to shut down because the provincial operating grant was late.
“When operators are driven to decide whether they can keep their doors open, it is unacceptable,” added Dinn. “Repeated announcements on spaces that will be created mean nothing if we do not have ECEs to care for those spaces. They deserve better and certainly timely payment.”
The government has responded that operators must submit quarterly statistics to receive payment for childcare services, and processing can take up to ten days.
“The current process, under the Furey Liberals, is flawed,” Dinn continued. “A better process must be implemented, which reduces red tape and speeds up processing times. This allows reliable and timely payments to ensure that our children are taken care of and that childcare operators don’t have to worry about the administrative burden.”
Due to many concerns related to childcare brought forward by parents, providers, and other groups, Dinn has arranged a district town hall meeting to hear from the community at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17th, at the Topsail United Church basement.
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