Description

Editor Tim Johnson discusses Canada's 'patchwork' child care system and highlights the need for a universal plan in this article published in Canadian Family magazine. " 'We don't really have a system. What we have is a bunch of little bits and pieces,' says Martha Friendly, director of the Toronto-based Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU)". "The ideal (within our system), says Lysack, is a nonprofit, community-run centre. Here, no one is scrimping on snacks or staff to make a buck, and parents have input and decision-making power." "Good quality, licensed care in Canada (except Quebec) comes with a healthy price tag. Parents usually pay the bulk of the cost of care, and the fee for an infant or toddler place in a licensed centre in large urban areas like Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver can range as high as $1,600 per month." "All of this highlights the need for a universal system, something called for by national and international experts alike… And while Monica Lysack recognizes that the current government's $100-per-month child care benefit (for each child under six) may be helpful for some families, it's no substitute for a comprehensive system." "They all say the same thing about quality child care: it's a smart investment, it's healthy for the productivity of our country, and most importantly, it's good for our kids."