Affordable Daycare for Everyone
Something about me: I read a lot, especially on topics that are directly related to me and/or my business. So you won’t be surprised to hear I’ve known about the “$10/day daycare plan” proposed by the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC (CCCABC) for a relatively long time. Even still, it wasn’t until I heard Sharon Gregson present the scope and rationale for the proposal that I started to understand what this would mean for BC families.
Not only does it propose to cap fees to parents at $10/day for full-time care, $7/day for part-time, and to provide service to families with an annual income under $40,000 at no cost, but the plan also recommends an average salary for Early Childhood Educators of $25/hour, plus benefits. AND it calls for an 18-month parental leave. And a lot more. The bill to the province is estimated at $1.5 billion.
Did you know that fewer mothers of children aged 3 – 15 participate in the workforce in BC than any other province? And that child poverty in BC is the second highest in Canada? How about the fact that Canada scored 15th out of 17 peer countries when it comes to supporting children and families?
The research and information she presented convinced me that providing childcare that meets families’ needs, at a price they can afford to pay would alleviate both of these issues. That means more choice for mothers and families when it comes to staying at home and going back to work, and better opportunities for children. Among other things.
On a smaller scale, Buddings stands for the exact same things. We started this business to support families who needed and/or wanted quality childcare that fit their lifestyles. There are lots of social benefits for kids spending time with peers in an educational environment, and equally, lots of benefits for kids who’s parents raise them at home. The point is, by offering childcare that works for them, families get to do what’s best for them. Of course, we also have a simple web-based booking system and a pricing model that makes sense to people. That helps. 🙂
The CCCABC website explains the plan much better than I can. The information is all cited from published research, and you may be surprised by just how practical this investment, in our mothers, kids, and future, could be. Twelve years after introducing provincially funded daycare, Quebec’s system has put so many mothers back in the workforce that the income taxes they pay covers the annual cost. You should really just go there and educate yourself.
And, if you agree that this is the first realistic proposal for accessible childcare in BC, I urge you to help make it a reality. Endorsements for the plan, from individuals and businesses, are coming in daily, and it’s as easy as filling in your name and information on the website, or stopping in at Buddings and filling in a postcard. We’ll make sure it gets to Victoria on your behalf.
If it ever gets approved, the first stages will be focused on creating affordable full-time spaces, so if you’re an occasional user of childcare, it will be a while before you’re affected. It will be a while no matter what, because revolutionizing the province’s approach to early learning will take time. The point is, nothing will even get started until we find a provincial government willing to put children and families on the priority list. And that starts with us.
