http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/natio...don060426.html

Minister responds to Caledon calculations.

You think $3.28 a day is going to help those categories either?? Get a grip.
And yes many of those in those categories will have some access to the daycare centres just as they have access to the educational system.
Far and away in the studies those MOST benefitting are those in the lower income strata - higher income already know the benefits and pay for high quality care.

Those people are most benefitted from the Liberal income tax break which Harper chooses to dismantle.

Well, I guess we'll just have to wait until the budget to see how this all plays out.

Meanwhile, we'll let the Conservative critics rant and rave about how the government should pay for every child's meal from birth until 18...and then pay their full tuition costs.

ah yes, better to just have them all in factory sweat shops to help the corporation's bottom line
after all, if parents can't feed 'em why not let 'em work at age 10, eh?
make 'em pay their own way in life
let them learn early how hard life is in a 1st world country
Upper Canada College could use a few more janitors and gardeners and at a good price too

... so, families with two incomes couldn't possibly be making financial sacrifices to raise their kids as well? Two incomes doesn't necessarily mean that a family is rolling on easy street.

Sometimes we as a society need to contribute to something that is for the greater good, as opposed to only benefiting our little sphere of influence. For example, being non-addicted and non-abusing of legal or illegal drugs, I could personally say that I don't like the idea of paying a chunk of the $40 Billion per year it is costing our country ( <A HREF="http://tinyurl.com/ky8d8">Globe and Mail Story</A> ), however, being a contributing member of our society I won't begrudge people the help they need. I personally have a child now, and am very thankful for any help we can get with childcare.

MacGuiver, don't know all the answers to your questions, but here's some feedback:
The Quebec system has recently introduced incentives for daycare providers to provide care at the rate of $7.00 / day for care provided outside core hours. This is just starting, but some daycares are taking them up on it and providing 24 hour service to accommodate shift workers/ etc. (Now before people start screaming about leaving a child for 24 hours, that isn't how it works, you get "a work day's" worth of care (8-10 hours)).

As far as I know, there isn't much relief if you want to stay home and take care of your children, kind of the same as everywhere else, if you can afford it, do it.

Not sure about the small towns and rural areas, but I think that the subsidized care is fairly wide-spread- there are just huge waiting lists.

Thanks mannypwife,

Cute little fella by the way.
I guess my questions come from the claim that the Quebec system is "universal childcare". If its as universal as it claims to be it should serve everyone. I think their could be huge numbers of parents falling through the cracks there but I may be wrong.
I have my doubts it really does serve everyone and if it did, how many more billions would it cost to do so? Can a province strapped with growing debt afford to go deeper? Do SUV driving, 9-5 moms and dads need the government to pay for and raise their children while Joe farmer and his wife are paying for it plus having to pay for a local sitter besides?

Cheers
MacGuiver

Good post. MannyPWife
When childcare gets more integrated into the educational system as it should be given the enormous benefits then it will be able to serve a wider range of situations.

It also will make more effective use of existing facilities like schools and provide income for many who love children and want to help them grow. Not every person is an effective teacher and kids often learn better from others where the emotional interaction is less thatn with a parent.

The greater exposure to peers and the outside the home world early on the healthier and more balanced the child in my mind.
Not all children are ready early and that's for a parent to judge but the opportunity needs to be there, affordably. Especially for families struggling to get established in income, or language or education, having some of the burden carried for them in those areas in regards to quality care and education for their children is in my mind beneficial to the entire society.

Study after study has shown it to be so.

MacGuiver,
First, thanks! We think he's cute too (usually).

There are definitely people falling through the cracks in the system in Quebec. I've had my son on a waiting list for daycare at several different centers since I found out I was pregnant in late 2004. To date, we still have not been accepted and at our preferred place, we are 208th on the list! Most are saying that we will not get in until 2007 or 2008 if at all (since most centers prefer to get kids while they are still infants and have them go through "grades" with children of the same age).

But, at least Quebec is trying. I know a co-worker that sits next to me in the cube farm is paying $8-9000 per year in Ontario (or more by now probably) for her two kids in daycare, and she said she was getting a deal. When you consider that this comes off the top of her take-home, it doesn't leave a whole lot of money for other things, however, they can't afford for her to stay home and keep their house. I personally don't consider a house to be a financial luxury unless you are living in some fancy-schmancy mansion, so I don't think she should have to sacrifice her house to stay home with her kids. So, I feel that the system should help her out.

I understand the flaws in the Quebec system with respect to access to care, but one of the things I really like about the system is that it treats all families equally. If you can find a $7 space you won't be rejected based on your income. IMO, there are too many formulas etc that exclude parents from benefits based on income without acknowledging they may have more going out than coming in (and not just on luxuries).

For example, I'm still paying my massive student loans that I had to take out in order to afford to go to school. I had to go to school so that I would be able to find a good job. To find that good job, I had to leave my home province (dragging my new husband with me) and move to a place with a much higher cost of living where we have no family support (no going to grandma's for daycare). So, under most formulas, we aren't eligible for any help, but in Quebec, if I can find a $7 spot, I can have it. Thus, the money I'm not spending on childcare can be spent on paying down debt and buying essentials for my child and family.

Like I said, not a perfect system, but at least it's trying. This is one of the reasons we have stayed in Quebec rather than making the move to Ottawa that a lot of our friends have done.

A fine posting, mannypwife. We need these sorts of posts to help provide some perspective on this issue. Paix.

Agreed - which is why I support a well funded public education system, including early childhood education as appropriate.

I still see an "education" and a "babysitting" component to daycare, and I don't see how subsidising the "babysitting" component contributes to the good of society. The decision to stay home to raise kids or to leave them with a "babysitter" is based on personal and financial considerations, and I don't see why public policy should favour one choice over the other.