Yellowknife (Aug 02/06) - A shortage of daycare spots is easily the biggest problem facing Yellowknife families, according to Olivia Chow, New Democrat MP and critic for women's and children's issues.

Chow recently visited Yellowknife during a tour of Canada with husband Jack Layton and took some time to speak about the issues with parents and family advocacy groups.

"I can see that the need of daycare in the North is more desperate than anywhere else," Chow says.

She is currently working on a child care legislation that she is hoping to propose to parliament by mid-September.

Her findings are spurring her towards a plan that would scrap subsidy programs and give parents five to seven dollars a day per child. That would come in addition to funding from the territorial government.

The plan would eliminate a lot of paperwork and give money directly to family-oriented organizations, she says.

Chow met July 22 with representatives from the Centre for Aboriginal Women, the Association for Community Living, the Centre for Northern Families and the National Women's Council.

Each group had the opportunity to share their concerns regarding children, youth and women in Yellowknife.

They discussed violence in families, the difficulties that aboriginal and immigrant women face and aboriginal youth issues. The biggest item on the agenda was the pressing need for daycare solutions.

According to Chow, the Conservative government's solution to the daycare isn't going to work. The $100 a month in childcare subsidies from the federal government is going to be taxed and will end up being a great deal less, she says.

"It will work out to be only about 40 dollars a month."

Arlene Hache, from the Centre for Northern Families, expressed her disappointed with the federal government plan.

"I am deeply offended that the government would offer us $40 a month for childcare," Hache says.

"The reality is, is that they are ignorant of our needs."

"It is very hard for single parents to go through the subsidy program," says Janine Olifie, Northern youth director on the Territorial Youth Board.

"As a single mother I found it very difficult to access the subsidy program."

This was due, she says to the stringent regulations the territorial government has to assess who is eligible for the subsidies.

Chow feels that her proposed childcare act would address these concerns. She says it would bring secure funding, programming and a better future for daycares.