A Million Steps for Child Care

October 3, 2007
BCGEU Communications
Press Release (pdf)

Vancouver Island woman launches A Million Steps for Child Care
run Campbell River to Victoria, October 9-16, 2007

Campbell River resident Shelagh Germyn is beginning an eight-day
marathon run from her hometown to Victoria to raise awareness of the
urgent need for a quality, affordable and accessible universal early
learning and child care system for BC's and Canada's children and
families.

Germyn will be starting her A Million Steps for Child Care journey in
Campbell River on Tuesday, October 9 and plans to arrive at the Victoria
Legislature Tuesday, October 16.

Communities along the A Million Steps for Child Care route are
organizing local events in support. Vancouver Islanders are invited to
join Germyn by biking, running, or walking with her along the way. Local
residents are also asked to create a banner decorated with the name of
their community and colourful children's footprints. The banners will be
displayed at the Legislature at the end of the run.

Earlier this year, Germyn saw a local town hall meeting on the effects
of provincial and federal child care funding cuts. She explains that she
was so touched by the stories of parents and their struggles to find and
afford child care that she decided to do this run to raise awareness
about the need for more public child care funding.

Germyn, married for 29 years and with two grown children, says "I love
children and I also love to run. So these are inspirations behind my A
Million Steps for Child Care run."

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BCGEU - Child care - Let's Make it Happen campaign
Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC - Million Steps Letter