EXCERPTS
For immediate release December 11, 2020
Nova Scotia Federation of Labour President Danny Cavanagh is asking why the provincial government is not offering any help to families without childcare whose children are facing extra time off from school in January 2021.
“A provincial financial support program should be established for families with school-age children to cover the costs of time away from work or paying for childcare if any spaces are available.
“Parents are panicking, having been through a very rough year during which some have lost jobs and have spent thousands of dollars on piecemeal solutions for childcare during the school year,” says Cavanagh.
He adds that during this second wave, it’s time for the government to step up and provide assistance and not just rely on the Federal Government’s help. Premier McNeil must step up and not just ignore the fact that there is a provincial role in providing financial assistance when they close schools for extra time.
“Up to now, workers have had to rely on federal programs for lost wages and this requires application and eligibility test and a waiting period. Federal help for workers requires eligibility qualifications and requires people to apply and wait.
“The real issue here is that we need public childcare that is universal and affordable for all Nova Scotian households,” says Cavanagh.
The Nova Scotia Federation of Labour is the provincial voice of the Labour Movement, representing 65,000 members in over 300 union locals.