Occasional paper series

This paper summarizes what is known about the child care workforce in Canada, the implications of this for regulated childcare, and identifies  some considerations and strategies to address the ongoing issues and improve the overall state of ECEC. A summary of the relevant research and data leads to the conclusion that a coordinated and comprehensive strategy is needed to address the multiple and interconnected variables that impact the working conditions of those in the child care workforce.

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This paper by long-time child care advocate and policy expert Julie Mathien documents the roots of modern child care policy in Canada through the lens of Campus Community Co-operative Day Care Centre (CCCDCC) at the University of Toronto. The paper describes the rise of community-based child care in Ontario, the first wave of child care advocacy and the 1960s context of progressive political activism. It was written to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Campus Co-op, founded by Toronto feminists in 1969.  

This report is available online for download.  See links below.

Do child care markets “work”? Market failure, “compromised” and “peculiar” markets

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The purpose of this paper, aimed at a wide range of stakeholders, is to provide a current overview of the state of rural child care and to stimulate and inform discussion aimed at improving it.

The report includes the following sections as well as references and appendices: 

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This report is intended to be a useful tool for policy makers striving to strengthen child care policy and programs, researchers studying child care, family and workplace policy issues, advocates working for accessible high quality child care for all Canadian families and employers of non-standard hours workers. Its main purpose is to provide an up-to-date report on the state of child care for families working non-standard hours in Canada. 

The report includes: 

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This report aims to provide a "snapshot" or inventory of the state of regulated child care for children with disabilities in Canada. It establishes a baseline for considering issues and progress on inclusion of children with disabilities in regulated child care programs. This is especially important as child care continues to receive relatively limited support in policy development and research even as early childhood education and early learning more broadly has begun to enjoy enhanced recognition and policy support.

This paper explores some of the conflicting priorities between childcare by for-profit entrepreneurs and non-profit or state systems. The paper considers the limitations of using the market as a workable model for the organisation and delivery of childcare. It presents a brief overview of the reach of economics as a basis for making decisions about childcare, and describes changes in ideas about the application of market principles to traditional welfare contexts.