Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 08/02) - A city day home operator says she is tired of getting no respect from bigger, non-profit day care associations.

"I get the feeling that day cares think day homes are just money grabbing people," says Leona Callahan, who, besides taking care of two of her own not in school yet, spends her week days looking after six other children.

Callahan says the relationship between day cares and day homes has always been somewhat prickly, but she was even more upset when reading comments from one Yellowknife Day Care Association board member in Yellowknifer last week.

In an article dated Feb. 27, Charlotte Walker argued that day cares should receive more government funding than day homes because they have more overhead expenses.

"She's making day homes look bad, when it's very expensive running a day home," says Callahan.

"I use to fill my pig (propane) tanks once a year, now it's more like two or three times a year. I spent $10,984 in groceries last year. Not all of it was for the day home, but at least half of it was."

Other expenses Callahan listed in running her business include $200 for a city day home licence, shots for her dog and two cats, compulsory first aid training, special vehicle insurance, and a $2 million liability insurance policy on her house.

Not to mention toys and other play things for the children.

"They're getting subsidized on 40 children, but I'm getting subsidized on eight children," says Callahan. "It all weighs out that much more."

Even though she has the maximum eight children in her care under Education, Culture, and Employment's funding guidelines, she is funded for only five because three of them are her own.

Callahan says she went into the day home business because she wanted to keep her children home while they still too young to go to school.

She says day homes are a better environment for children than day cares because they are less regimental and stressful.

"I just don't want my children in an environment where it's 'this is what you got to do, and this is when you got to do it,'" says Callahan. "If they don't want to sit and paint, they don't have to."

Callahan says she has since spoken to Walker, adding that she apologized for making the comments.

Walker, on the other hand, says she does not recall speaking with her, but does remember receiving a phone call from one "irate woman."

Walker said she did not mean to make anyone upset. She says herself and other association members just want ECE to take a harder look at the differences between day cares and day homes.

"We're not going to cause a big fight and raise pickets over it," says Walker. "Non-profit organizations should be treated differently than ones for profit."

ECE currently funds day cares and day homes at the same daily rate: $12 for infants, $8 for pre-schoolers, and $2 for after schoolers.

The rates increased substantially after ECE minister Jake Ootes raised them in last month's territorial budget.

According to the GNWT's early childhood co-ordinator, Gillian Moir, there are 28 licensed day homes in Yellowknife, plus several others that are not licensed.

Unlicensed day homes may operate to a maximum of five children, with no more than three belonging to parents other than the owner.

In addition to requiring a licence from the city, licensed day homes must pass yearly fire and health inspections.

The government may also make spot inspections of licensed day homes at any given time.

Moir would not say whether the funding formula for early childhood services would change to differentiate between day cares and day homes in the near future, but did say current guidelines are under review.

"Currently, we're reviewing guidelines, which may make changes to how the program is delivered," says Moir.