Childcare concerns

Re: National daycare no good for women, Danielle Kubes, April 21

I assume that the national daycare advocates will argue that there are costs associated with the desire to have children and at the same time to participate in the labour force. So, let’s have a massive program that helps these families with the costs. There are costs associated with every decision. The cost of staying home to raise your children is the opportunity cost of not working. It can be argued that the opportunity cost for many parents is greater than the daycare costs. If we believe that families should receive some financial assistance when they have young children, then give it to all families. Let the families make the decisions. It should be pointed out that the stay-at-home parent is often the one who helps out at school events, drives other children to sports practices, and provides a free service to the parents who are working full time.

Rick Hird, Whitby, Ont.

This article touched on the inappropriateness of the government being in competition with private daycare. The risk is that private daycare, to maintain its business, may find a downward enrolment and a reduction in their standards as they try to compete with a low-cost provider. Low cost invariably translates to low quality. Great, now we can expect a further challenge to our educational system — our young children placed into inferior childcare where the available resources do not advance their senses.

Eric Bornstein, Toronto