|
CITY OF VANCOUVER ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT |
Date: |
October 19, 2004 | |
Author: |
Cecelia Smith | |
Phone No.: |
604.871-6711 | |
RTS No.: |
04624 | |
CC File No.: |
1254 | |
Meeting Date: |
November 2, 2004 |
TO: |
Vancouver City Council |
FROM: |
City Clerk |
SUBJECT: |
Request by Councillor Roberts to Travel and Attend the Child Care for a Change! Shaping the 21st Century Conference |
CONSIDERATION
THAT Council give consideration to authorize payment for Councillor Anne Roberts to attend the Child Care for Change! Shaping the 21st Century conference to be held in Winnipeg, Manitoba on November 11 - 13; funding estimated at $1,397.00 and is available in the Council travel budget.
CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The City Manager submits this report for Council's consideration.
COUNCIL POLICY
The City's Expenses By-law requires Council approval for travel by Councillors outside of B.C.
PURPOSE
This report requests approval for Councillor Anne Roberts to attend the Child Care for Change! Shaping the 21st Century.
DISCUSSION
The Child Care for Change! Shaping the 21st Century conference brings together 500 key stakeholders from across Canada to discuss the development of national child care policy, providing an opportunity for Councillor Roberts, as co-chair of the Joint Council on Child Care, to:
· Better understand child care policy across Canada;
· Communicate with municipal and provincial officials across Canada about Vancouver's leading role in supporting child care through the Joint Council's work coordinating the efforts of three local governments to support and provide increased child care spaces;
· Meet with key federal child care officials, especially the Hon. Ken Dryden, Minister of Social Development and Minister responsible for child care, in an effort to influence public policy at the federal level that supports and advances Vancouver's child care agenda.
The mandate of the Joint Council on Child Care, established by the City of Vancouver, the Vancouver Park Board and the Vancouver School Board in June, 2003, includes:
Advocate for a new partnership with the federal, provincial, regional and aboriginal governments to build a publicly funded national child care/child development system.
The City of Vancouver passed a motion in July 22, 2004 calling on Prime Minister Paul Martin and NDP Leader Jack Layton to keep the promises made during the federal election campaign to implement a national child care strategy based on quality, universality, accessibility and developmental programming and to allocate funding of $5 billion more over the next five years to create 250,000 new spaces at affordable cost to parents.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The estimated costs to be funded from the 2004 Travel Budget are as follows:
Item |
Estimated Costs |
|
Airfare - return Vancouver/Winnipeg
|
$ 567.00 385.00
|
Total Estimated Costs |
$1,397.00 |
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