Cooperative Agency - ONTARIO

[cfred]

Babydom, that's a good question. This is going to be long...sorry...

Until now, most ICPs felt the same way. Since the birth of Bill 10 (CCEYA), the landscape of childcare has changed dramatically in Ontario. Our ratio restrictions are tighter and our professionalism has been held to major scrutiny. While all of us would love to continue on as we always have, and of course are still free to do under the new legislation, there may be some benefits to belonging to an agency. BUT, we're suggesting a Cooperative Agency which is a different model than the ones we're currently familiar with.

Typically, agencies charge a certain fee to clients and deduct a portion from what goes to the provider under their license. Most agencies dictate what the fees will be, provide a contract and take over different parts of the business that a provider in our circumstances is already doing for herself. The lost wages of the provider go toward running the agency - home visitors, contracts, admin costs, etc. There is no cap on what percentage an agency can withhold. For someone starting out in the business, an agency can help them obtain clients to get the business off the ground. Agencies can offer the use of equipment, craft supplies, mentoring and ongoing support in the home daycare setting. For someone starting out in the business, this can certainly be a useful tool. BUT, not all agencies are created equal. There is a vast degree of variance in the level of quality from agency to agency, region to region. A major complaint that most ICPs have about joining an agency, aside from the massive loss in wages, is the loss of autonomy and individuality. Currently, agencies generally cost a provider approximately 30% of her income. Now, they are coming up with new models which are decidedly better than what's currently available, but they could still be better. Andrew Fleck is currently putting information out for a pilot project including a pay per use service, for those who don't require all the current model offers (equipment, contracts, sourcing clients, chasing payments, etc). They project an annual expense for providers of anywhere between $1450 and $4000.

With our Cooperative, the cost of running the agency would be covered by the annual fee of between $750-$1000 membership fee. We will offer ongoing access to resource materials and support, inclusion in a parent searchable directory matching special needs kids with providers with specific training and expertise, workshops/professional development. Most of all, providers retain their autonomy and run their businesses their way. Set your own fees, write your contracts, pick your clients, set your menus and curriculum. The inspections are unavoidable. We are seeking to have quarterly inspections instead of monthly.

The other issue that is encouraging us to push this idea is the idea of Universal Child Care ($15/day childcare) that the NDP government wants to bring in. In fact, it is Mulcair's main platform for the upcoming, Federal Election in October....and so far, he's in the lead. In addition, the Liberals voted in favour of it provincially....and they're socialist, so I would imagine it's not a stretch to see this happening. This is a very real possibility and we can see, in Ontario for sure, that they are setting up for this. They are closing schools in Toronto with partial enrollment, merging them with other schools. The empty buildings have been earmarked for massive daycare centres. There is a massive push for UCC and the campaign has gained tremendous momentum. ALL the childcare sectors (except us) are pushing for it. The Canadian Childcare Federation has a huge stake in this and has really been advocating for it. They also have government funding. You can imagine what UCC will do to the independent sector. With joining an agency, ICPs will have the licensing status they require to participate in UCC.

So...there you go. Why join our agency? In a nutshell - It's ICPs running it. You get to continue to run your business your way. You keep more of your income (a LOT more). You have licensed status to satisfy UCC requirements. You can take subsidy families. You can apply for a 6th if you wish. Workshops. Support. Professional appearance (we are all professional, but the media ruined reputations last year). The list goes on.....

This is why I continually come in here and leave posts about CICPO. We've been following this and have been actively involved in Bill 10 since its conception. We've got a good, political foothold and are involved in the regulatory process. It is going to effect everyone in here...everyone. UCC is in the hopper now, too. This is a big, big issue and childcare is at the forefront of the next federal election. We're hoping, that with enough support from ICPs, we can make an affordable and flexible option available to ICPs across the province.