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The next federal election is critical
There is good reason to be wary of Poilievre’s intentions towards CWELCC. References to supporting child care ‘flexibility’ have been used as a euphemism by governments, or governments-in-waiting, in the past to indicate their intent to end support for a national child care system.
While Conservatives try to convince Canadians that nothing is better than cash in parents’ pockets, this belies the reality that tax credits and modest universal benefits do not lower the price of child care or build high-quality licensed spaces where they are needed most.
The results of the next federal election will weigh heavily on the future of CWELCC. In the likelihood of a Conservative federal government, parents should not resign themselves to what may feel like the inevitable elimination of $10-per-day child care. Instead, parents and should consider joining activist networks that are advocating to preserve and expand CWELCC, including Parents for Child Care. Together, we can fight to retain this historic welfare program that is needed to support families, gender equity, and children’s development.