Flawed child-care plan
Conservative leader Stephen Harper believes the best way to provide care for preschool children is to give every family a cheque of $ 1,200 for each child under the age of 6. The families could then spend the money, which will amount to $4 a day per child, any way they like — for daycare, babysitters, to pay the rent, to buy children’s clothing.
It’s a plan clearly designed to win votes, but it’s not a plan designed to address the serious issue of the lack of affordable and accessible child care in this country.
Instead of a comprehensive program providing subsidized, universal daycare, the Tories are callously tempting voters with cash. In making his announcement, Harper was joining the debate over how to tackle child care. In last February’s budget, the Liberal government committed itself to investing in a $5 billion, five- year plan for a national child- care program. Prime Minister Paul Martin is expected today to announce he will double that deal with the provinces. Child- care advocates rightly jumped on Harper’s plan, charging it does little to help a low- or middleincome family pay for adequate child care, which can easily top $ 5,000 a year per child.
Quality care provides preschool children with a stimulating and nurturing environment that is critical for optimum development.
There already is a solution to providing quality child care for every child. It operates in Quebec. There, a province-wide system, which is heavily funded by the government, costs parents $7 a day per child, rich or poor. Higher income taxpayers in Quebec pay more through taxes while lower income families benefit from a built- in subsidy.
It is a simple solution that avoids the stigma of low income and raises standards of care because everyone has a stake. It is estimated that the cost to implement the program nationwide would total about $ 10 billion annually. Beyond the cost, there is still a question of long waiting lists for affordable child care. Even Harper realizes his plan would not address this problem, so he’s also offering $250 million in tax credits to help community groups and businesses create new child- care spaces.
It’s not nearly enough. In Ontario alone, it will cost up to $4 billion a year to provide enough spaces for all those who want to place their children in child- care programs.
It takes billions of dollars of funding on tried- and- true programs to buy the best start possible for Canadian children, and peace of mind for working parents.