With the January board meeting wrapped up and another on the agenda for April, GREAT's Board is focusing on one of the pressing issues preventing its clients from obtaining work and training. "We already know right now there are not enough childcare spaces overall for the whole community, that's a big challenge right there. And what we're looking for basically in the childcare issue is spaces for our clients," adds Porter.

After holding two meetings with community boards, one with Grand River Post Secondary Education Office's (GRPSEO) Board and another with Six Nations Polytechnic's Board, GREAT's Board is well on its way to finding solutions to the childcare issue on Six Nations. "Once we understand that all the groups are on board with us to do something about childcare okay what's the next step, who do we go to, who has the authority to change anything and how do we get more childcare?" states Porter.

Last year's goals focused on reviewing GREAT’s policies for helping clients obtain training and job readiness skills. While those issues were met the board's focus now is on breaking down any barriers to these goals. Six Nations has two childcare facilities but there are still not enough spaces to accommodate the numbers of children. Without childcare clients will find it difficult to seek employment or training.

Transportation is another barrier the board would like to help the community investigate. "Sometimes it's costing them a lot to get to work and they're really not making much money at the end of it," says Porter,

adding, "We didn't take that on because we didn't feel that we could do both at the same time but that's probably our next issue that we will look at."

Porter feels that the meeting with GRPSEO and Six Nations Polytechnic went well and is hopeful about upcoming meetings with Six Nations Social Services and the Aboriginal Education Council at Mohawk College. "I don't know whether they thought about how childcare affects their clients but by the end when they started thinking about it . . . were quite willing to come along," she says.

As well as meeting with community boards, GREAT's Board will also be undertaking various stages of planning and investigation into the childcare issue. Assessing the community’s needs and developing a profile of the issue is high on the board’s priority list. GREAT’s workplan also includes preparing a report of its findings.
The board will also be conducting surveys of the stakeholders at Bread and Cheese Day to gauge the community's opinions on the issue. Focus group meetings will also be held in the Spring for community members to share their concerns and feedback.

Community hall meetings will be held to address specific questions in regards to the challenges the board will face before presenting its findings and recommendations at a meeting of council in July.

GREAT will be holding three more board meetings throughout the year and will be advertising focus group meetings in the local newspapers. Community members are invited to attend the meetings to add their input into the childcare issue.

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