Child Care - Conservatives

Conservative Platform 2008: Child Care

Their Record

• Cancelled agreements with Canadian provinces to fund the creation of affordable child care spaces for working families.
• Voted against Bill C303 (legislation to create a national child care initiative)
• Offered tax credits to private employers resulting in no new childcare spaces.
• Invested $250 million per year to assist provinces in creating new childcare spaces, but with no clear overall strategy or accountability for where the funding would go.
• $100 per month per child under 6 to families; taxable benefit in which working families receive the least amount of funding for childcare.
  

Funding Promises

• Continue with providing $100 per child under 6 taxable benefit
• 250 million per year to provinces
  

Plan Highlights

• EI Maternity and Parental benefits for self-employed individuals

Comments and Questions

The Conservative government claims that its strategy of $100 per child under 6 offers choice and options for parents. Considering the average cost of child care in some communities in Canada, I think the "benefit" offers neither choice nor options. If there are no spaces, there is no choice. Moreover, the fact that the benefit is taxable means that those who need the funding most for child care receive the least amount as a benefit. I'm not opposed to having funding for those who choose (or are fortunate enough to be able to choose) to have one parent at home full-time (or two part-time, etc.). However, I am always highly suspicious of any government who starts handing out cash as a solution to a problem that affects such a large portion of its population. Cash is not a solution. Social infrastructure and funding toward quality programs and innovative solutions is what we need.