Your letters: Investing in child care a win-win

 

EXCERPTS

 

The Star editorial correctly noted that the Quebec experience of reasonably priced child care has a positive effect in lowering the rate of child poverty. It should be noted both why this is the case and also how this relationship is understated given how child poverty numbers are calculated in Canada.

 

Since the introduction of its child care program, the labour force participation rate of women in Quebec has significantly increased. This has had the consequence of increasing family income for lower-income families and thus lowering the child poverty rates.

 

And not all the improvement as regards child poverty shows up in the official statistics. By paying less for child care, lower-income families are able to have more disposable income for other needs, which obviously means their incomes go further. Our child poverty numbers are tabulated solely in relationship to income earned, and not in regard to how the family income is actually increased as a result of this money buying more.

 

It’s a win-win result, to be sure, and goes to add even more evidence that Canada needs to make Quebec's child care program into one for all Canadians.

 

-reprinted from Toronto Star