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EXCERPTS
The Liberal government could extend funding cuts to $5/day day care to in-school day-care services.
Education Minister Pierre Reid's assistant says everything is on the table, although Reid hasn't made any decision yet, it could mean better-off parents could have to pay more for this service as well.
School day-care centres cost the same to parents as regular public day care: $5/day.
Quebec's new government says that could change, and wealthier people may end up having to pay more.
Parti Québécois MNA and social solidarity critic Camil Bouchard says overtaxing the better-off would be a huge mistake.
"They already pay more. We have a progressive tax system. Rich people pay more taxes so that we can offer universal programs to our children, so it's already built in the system," Bouchard says.
Bouchard fears this double-jeopardy upon the upper middle-class would kill the much loved day-care program.
Kevin Lukian, Director General of the Riverside School Board, shares that view. Each of his 22 elementary schools has a day-care centre.
"There's no question that the school day cares have expanded tremendously as a result of the fact that they are affordable to parents," Lukian says.
Bouchard says funding cuts to day-care centres would set Quebec family policy back 20 years.
-Reprinted from CBC Montreal.