No one will argue that childcare is getting too expensive, especially for low-income families. For some, putting your child into daycare is just as expensive as paying a mortgage on a home.
But is the NDP’s plan to provide $25-a-day childcare the answer? That depends on how successful this pilot project is at the end of three years and how success will be determined.
First, let’s get something out of the way: the Westlock Child Care Society should apply to become one of the 18 centres to offer $25-a-day cap. Offering more affordable childcare spaces in our community is a good thing, especially if that means more parents can enter the workforce while still having some money to spare at the end of the month.
The question to be asked is how much of a difference will this really make?
According to the government’s own figures, licensed daycare fees sit anywhere from $14 to $40 a day per child. Really, how much of a break is $25?
That’s still about $500 a month.
Secondly, the cap doesn’t apply to after-school care. It might be OK to leave a pre-teen home alone in the summer, but it’s a different story if that child is six or seven years old.
Thirdly, a $25 daily fee doesn’t necessarily differentiate between the parents who can afford childcare and those who can’t. While some low-income families will be subsidized, not every daycare will offer that. It’s no secret that childcare is an exceptionally heavy burden for low-income families, but it is also costly for middle-income parents who might not qualify for a subsidy.
While the NDP did promise $25-a-day childcare during the election, even they seemed to realize the idea wasn’t really feasible when they attached the qualifier of “if finances permit.”
If the real issue here is the cost of childcare, perhaps we need to start looking at it as an essential service. Maybe we need to stop tiptoeing around the idea and actually discuss the possibility of making childcare a public service, just like education or health care.
But that’s a debate for another day. In the meantime, we hope that this $25-a-day childcare idea works.