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The number of new regulated child-care spaces in Canada has dropped by thousands since the Conservatives took power and gutted a $5-billion Liberal funding plan, says a new report.
Toronto's Childcare Resource and Research Unit says 26,600 spaces opened across the country in 2006 - down from 32,600 in each of the previous two years, and a steep drop from almost 51,000 a year between 2001 and 2004.
Those numbers are despite intense demand for high-quality, reliable programs, says report author Martha Friendly, a child-care research veteran of 30 years.
"The need is still enormous. If we really want to have good quality early education and care programs for children and families, there has to be public policy and public money that make it happen. We need a national program.
"Without the tools, the policy and the money to work with, it happens very sporadically and very slowly."
Canada lags well behind other industrialized countries, especially those in Europe, that support services ranging from infant care to pre-school, Friendly says.
The Conservatives scrapped Liberal plans for a national early learning system in favour of tax cuts, increased family benefits and scaled-back funding for new spaces. Parents are also receiving $1,200 a year (before taxes) for each child under the age of six.
Those moves were applauded by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and parents who say it's more equal and efficient to give cash directly to families.
Child-care advocates say that support isn't nearly enough to help pay for quality services - if parents can find them.
Friendly, executive director of the Childcare Resource and Research Unit, has been tracking trends for regular reports since 1991. She has lost her $250,000 budget since the Conservatives took the helm.
The report released Thursday was part of a contract won through Human Resources and Social Development Canada.
The minister responsible, Monte Solberg, says $1.1 billion is still flowing from Ottawa to the provinces each year for child care. That's about $400 million a year less than what the Liberals planned.
"We have a different vision," Solberg said. "Our vision is partly about child-care spaces. It's also about giving parents choice so that they can provide for their children in the way that's in alignment with their values and their situation."
Some provinces have focused on space creation, he explained. Others such as Alberta, Quebec and Prince Edward Island have focused more on salary increases, training and other issues.
Still, Solberg insists provinces "overwhelmingly" spend federal child-care cash as intended.
"I did send the provinces a letter a while ago saying we're obliged to provide timely accounting of how that money is spent," he said, a nod to critics who say annual reports are well overdue when they're filed at all.
"I reject the notion that these things will only be done responsibly if the federal government rides herd on them like Father Knows Best."
Gord Mackintosh, family services minister for Manitoba, says the province kicked in an extra $14 million last year to make up for federal cuts.
"It was a big hit for provincial taxpayers, but we did it because we wanted to continue to strengthen child care in Manitoba and didn't want to see us back-sliding by having to cut programs that were started with federal investments" under the Liberals.
"The withdrawal of robust federal support for child care in Canada was one of the biggest U-turns in modern day social policy," he said. "It had a profound impact ... on families."
Regulated spaces in Manitoba increased just two per cent in 2006 to 26,375 from 25,984, says the report.
Another 2,500 spots are on track to open over the next two years, Mackintosh says.
Deb Matthews, minister of children and youth services for Ontario, says the Conservatives scaled back more than $1 billion in child-care funds committed by the Liberals through to 2010.
"We had terrific plans. We really believe in early learning. We know it's good for the kids, and it enables families - especially moms - to go to work."
Ontario saw a five per cent increase in spaces to 243,488 from 229,875 in 2006.
Communities pulled back more ambitious and badly needed expansions when the Tories cut funding, Matthews said.
"Kids who would have been in licensed child care are not in licensed child care. It's as simple as that."
- reprinted from The Canadian Press