1 year after Baby Mac's death at an illegal daycare, his parents still have no answers

It's been one year since the death of15-month old Macallan Wayne Sainiat an illegal daycare in East Vancouver but his parents are still no closer to learning how their son died.

Vancouver police haveforwarded a report to Crown counsel to assess whether charges will be approved against the operator of the daycare where Macallan, known as Baby Mac, died in an accident on Jan. 18,2017.

There is no estimate of when the assessment will be complete, and thecause of death has still not been released.

"This death is under investigation and all available information regarding the investigative findings to date has been shared with the family," said Andy Watson of the B.C. Coroners Service.

Baby Mac's parents, Shelly Sheppard and ChrisSaini,declined an interview because of the stress and anxiety around the anniversary of their child's death.

But campaigners for affordable child care say some good may yet come out of the tragedy.

Mac's death created a tidal wave for many families.- Sharon Gregson, $10 a day childcare advcoate

Sheppard and Sainihave themselves been strong advocates of more affordable child care in B.C. and playeda huge role in making it an issue in the run-up to the 2017 provincial election, during which the NDPcampaigned for $10-a-day child care.

"Mac's death created a tidal wave for many families and the impact is still being felt in our province," saidSharonGregson, spokeswomanfor the$10aDaychild-care campaign.

"It generated attention to an issue that had not been getting enough attention.It has generated advocacy and activism from parents and grandparents and early childhood educators that did never see themselves playing that role," she said.

Daycare remains unaffordableand inaccessible to most British Columbians,Gregson said.

Fees continue to rise, wait-lists continue to growand early child-care educators still don't earnenough money to stay or enter the profession, she said.

But Gregsonis hoping theNDPgovernment will soon make good on its promisein the Feb.20provincial budget.

Daycare operating illegally

Vancouver Coastal Health conducted its own investigation after Baby Mac's deathand concludedthat the daycare was operating illegally.

After the toddler died, it wasrevealed that YasmineSaad, the daycare's operator,hadthree previous regulation violations for caring for too many children at other locations,but was never fined.

Under B.C.'s Community Care and Assisted Living Act, unlicensed child-care operators are only allowed to care for two children at a time and can be fined up to $10,000 aday for violations.

The daycare closed after Baby Mac's death.

There is nowhere for parents to look up unlicensed daycares or view previous complaints, but VCH said it has modified its system so licensing staff can more "easily identify individuals who have illegally operated a child or residential care facility."

Previously theycould only search by address, but now they can now track by name, alias and address.

Minister of Children andFamilyDevelopmentKatrineConroysaid the government is going to address the gaps in child care in the upcoming legislative session.

"I know that nothingwill bring Baby Mac back. But what we can do isstrengthen the childcare system in B.C.," Conroy said in an e-mail statement to CBC News.

"As the Premier has said, no parent should ever feel pressured, because of either a lack of available spaces or information, toforegolicensed care when that is their preferred option. Child-care providers who are acting outside of their legal operating mandate including those who are unlicensed must be identified and held accountable," she said.