$15.00 per day daycare?

[CrazyEight]

The federal NDP's childcare proposal. They want to implement subsidized daycare across the country, where parents pay no more than $15/day. Of course, they are only talking about "regulated, centre-based care," meaning ICP's across the country will have the same problem we are having in Ontario now - the majority of spaces and the majority of children are in private care, which the provincial governments won't regulate, so therefore we will not be able to take on subsidized clients.

I am so so torn by the upcoming federal election, because I've always voted NDP in the past. However, this scheme is so ridiculous I feel I can't in good conscience vote for a party that wants to implement it.

A) the promised spaces will need to be created with the building of new centers or the re-furbishing of existing centers or taking over and re-doing existing buildings, like closed schools, etc. This will take YEARS to accomplish and will cost billions - and the NDP may not even still be in power by the time all of it's new promised spaces are operational - and then what?

B) Quebec has proven that the model of "one fee fits all" is not financially feasible, as they have switched from $7/day childcare to a sliding scale based on income. Why would the federal government open themselves up to the same unsustainable model that Quebec has, when they have a failed example staring them in the face?

C) ICP's are in every province, and, using Ontario as an example, many more children are in "unlicensed" care than in centers and licensed-agency care combined. This $15/day cap will only apply to children in subsidized spaces. The new spaces will be snapped up in a heartbeat and tons of parents will be left stuck with no more subsidized spaces available, and will have to continue to pay ICP rates.

D) Many ICP's who's clients are lucky enough to find subsidized spots will be out of business, and will be forced to look for new work, potentially adding MORE kids (their own) to the childcare system that will already be overloaded.

E) This proposal assumes that parents' first choice will always be centre-based, institutional care. Some of these new centers are even being proposed to be built attached to schools, apparently. Many parents do not WANT to place their 12-month-old (or younger!) into an institution, and choose home-based care as their first choice. This is taking that choice away from them.

I don't necessarily disagree with a national childcare program or policy, but it needs to encompass ALL forms of childcare to be viable for all Canadians. Agencies that are currently allowed by the provinces to run differently (some for-profit, some not, for example) need to be regulated first, in order to ensure the same care across the country. If the NDP wants to introduce a national childcare program, then shouldn't the federal government then take control of the childcare sector away from the provinces? If we could ALL be licensed by the federal government, and ALL take on clients receiving subsidy by the federal government, then that could actually be an actual childcare solution for all Canadians.

Of course, doing that would completely bankrupt the country, because the feds can't afford to support the subsidized spaces they have committed to, let alone afford to subsidize all the children needing care across the country.