VICTORIA - Minister of State for Childcare Linda Reid plans to dodge her responsibility by getting a non-governmental agency to hand out $20 million in one-time funding, New Democrat Childcare Critic Claire Trevena said today.

"The Minister is ducking responsibility for disbursing millions of dollars in funding, and this raises some serious questions about transparency and accountability", said Trevena, the MLA for North Island. "This is just another example of the Minister's complete mismanagement of the childcare portfolio."

Under questioning from Trevena during budget estimates on Wednesday, Minister Reid revealed that the B.C. Council for the Family will be managing $20 million in funding from the Ministry of Children and Family Development. This comes after the Ministry earlier this year handed out $20 million in one-time funding for childcare providers, with the caveat that the money be spent on equipment and be expended before the end of the calendar year.

"If I hadn't pushed the Minister on this issue during budget estimates debates, who knows when we would have found out? The Minister certainly didn't tell childcare providers about this decision, and she wasn't able to provide me with any information about how the money will be distributed," said Trevena. "Childcare providers have been told so many different things by this Minister, it's no wonder that they are at their wits' end."

The Minister of State for Childcare wrote a letter to childcare providers on May 15 outlining the $20 million in funding, but did not mention that the money would be distributed through a non-governmental agency.