$100 does little to build real child care program
by Christina Soto
Since last September I have received a monthly $100 cheque in the mail, money that sits heavily in our family pocket book. If I didn’t really need it I would rip it up and throw it in the trash. It is a cash incentive from the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) and it comes with a price: the cost of a National Childcare program and the overall well-being of our children.
The National Childcare program would have been a first step towards a real childcare system in Canada. However, it was cut by Stephen Harper (within three hours of taking office) in favour of this $100 a month plan. An extra $100 for a family is insignificant in the big picture and makes little impact to the actual cost of childcare.
Last month, the UCCB “celebrated” its seventh year. During this time it has cost Canada $15 billion dollars, but we have little to show for it. But parceling it out eliminates the possibility for a national childcare structure that would build regulated quality care and make families lives easier.
Instead, families have limited options.
For people in the upper income brackets there is a myriad of choices; including the Live-In-Caregiver program. For working-class families, our hostile government has left us scrambling to find our own, usually expensive, solutions. In Quebec families pay $7/day, that is $154/month. In Ontario, a space runs from $1000-$2000 a month. This is completely unreasonable for most families and especially for those of us struggling to get through difficult economic times.
One of the children of a community-run childcare collective
In light of this, some families have been forced to innovate, to band together to form Community-Run Childcare collectives. These collectives share the responsibilities of childcare amongst parents and aim to provide quality care for children. The philosophy of the collectives also runs completely counter to the individualism espoused by the UCCB (“Here’s a $100, go spend it” versus “Let’s work together and build something”).
A report published just last year from the United Nations reprimanded Canada internationally for its human rights failures on childcare. The U.N. Committee for the Rights of the Child called on Canada to fulfill their human rights obligations with regard to childcare. The report showed that only 20% of our children have access to care. While 900 thousand children have access to care almost 5 million do not.
In a global assessment of children’s health and wellbeing, Canada isn’t doing very well either. A recent UNICEF report shows that Harper’s Canada has failed our children. Compared to the rest of the world’s “rich” countries, Canada ranked poorly, landing in the bottom third of the list due to our childhood poverty rates . 1 in 7 Canadian children live in poverty. This is a grand shame.
The early years, 0-3, are the most critical in childhood development. In this increasingly inequitable society, families have to struggle to meet the basic needs of their young children. Now they also have to battle, on their own, to ensure access to childcare. High quality childcare is as important as access to good housing, healthy food, and education for the health of our communities. The short sighted thinking of the UCCB is only increasing the burden on individual families, negatively affecting the overall well-being of our children.
Thankfully, in times of pressure communities can come together and create innovative solutions. If you are interested in building a community parenting collective in your neighbourhood, contact [email protected] .
Christina Soto is a parent and member of the Revolutionary Women’s Collective , a people’s organization that highlights women’s struggles around the world.
Comments
