Canadian Maternity leave law change

[5 Little Monkeys]

I feel like I'm having a dumb moment....but I don't see what the issue is. Infants spots are typically quite easy to fill no matter where you live. If a parent is wanting a centre but needing to use a hdc for the 6 months (12-18 mths of age) than those really aren't clients you'd want anyways. Whether the child is 12 or 23 months doesn't matter, an infant spot is an infant spot. It makes no difference to me.

This option just allows parents to stay home longer if they want. It was always odd to me that few centres took younger than 18 months so for those who prefer centres, and can afford 18 months off, this will work great for them. I don't see how it will affect home daycares?

[bright sparks]

I feel like I'm having a dumb moment....but I don't see what the issue is. Infants spots are typically quite easy to fill no matter where you live. If a parent is wanting a centre but needing to use a hdc for the 6 months (12-18 mths of age) than those really aren't clients you'd want anyways. Whether the child is 12 or 23 months doesn't matter, an infant spot is an infant spot. It makes no difference to me.

This option just allows parents to stay home longer if they want. It was always odd to me that few centres took younger than 18 months so for those who prefer centres, and can afford 18 months off, this will work great for them. I don't see how it will affect home daycares?

It's a bit of a hasty generalization to say that infant spots are usually easy to fill regardless of location. I know a considerable amount of providers who would disagree... Although since Bill 10, less than 50% of the under population are now being catered to. It totally depends on saturation and location to be fair and accurate. I understand that the under two rule has been in place for some considerable time in some provinces, but Ontario is in an acute state as a result of childcare spots being cut so recently, so providers have just gone from being able to fill all five spots with infants, to being at less than 50% capacity as a result of Bill 10. In addition, Ontario has an all day everyday kindergarten program since a few years which has significantly impacted the ability to fill spots as a result of there being no demand for home daycare for 4 and 5 year olds and nearly 50% of 3year olds. I fear that in Ontario providers case adjusting the maternity leave to 18 months will further reduce the age range we will likely take the majority of the time.

I never said parents would use hdc for six months and move onto a centre, perhaps I wasn't very clear. What I meant is that many people wouldn't look into home daycare if centre care was their first choice, unless centre care wasn't available to them, which for the most part in ON it isn't to children under 18 months. Once investigating home daycares, some parents are suprised and may change their opinion and go with a home daycare as they learn of the benefits, without any intention of pulling them out for centre care in the future. As infant spots are already so limited in this province and completely unable to meet anywhere near the demand, I think that more parents will get on centre wait lists from birth and get their spots secured without entertaining the idea of hdc thus potentially resulting in a potential negative impact to our industry.

Yes these are my fears and maybe unwarranted, but I'm here, now, in this province experiencing it first hand and seeing things from the front line, knowing multiple providers closing and receiving countless infant enquiries weekly that I have to turn away, and reading something slanderous towards home daycares in Ontario on a regular basis which is already pushing parents to centre care and not home daycares. It's going to impact people differently as there are always various challenges specific to a multitude of reasons. I'm going to be prepared and plan for every eventuality. I think I'd be foolish not to have a back up plan.

[5 Little Monkeys]

It's a bit of a hasty generalization to say that infant spots are usually easy to fill regardless of location. I know a considerable amount of providers who would disagree... Although since Bill 10, less than 50% of the under population are now being catered to. It totally depends on saturation and location to be fair and accurate. I understand that the under two rule has been in place for some considerable time in some provinces, but Ontario is in an acute state as a result of childcare spots being cut so recently, so providers have just gone from being able to fill all five spots with infants, to being at less than 50% capacity as a result of Bill 10. In addition, Ontario has an all day everyday kindergarten program since a few years which has significantly impacted the ability to fill spots as a result of there being no demand for home daycare for 4 and 5 year olds and nearly 50% of 3year olds. I fear that in Ontario providers case adjusting the maternity leave to 18 months will further reduce the age range we will likely take the majority of the time.

I never said parents would use hdc for six months and move onto a centre, perhaps I wasn't very clear. What I meant is that many people wouldn't look into home daycare if centre care was their first choice, unless centre care wasn't available to them, which for the most part in ON it isn't to children under 18 months. Once investigating home daycares, some parents are suprised and may change their opinion and go with a home daycare as they learn of the benefits, without any intention of pulling them out for centre care in the future. As infant spots are already so limited in this province and completely unable to meet anywhere near the demand, I think that more parents will get on centre wait lists from birth and get their spots secured without entertaining the idea of hdc thus potentially resulting in a potential negative impact to our industry.

Yes these are my fears and maybe unwarranted, but I'm here, now, in this province experiencing it first hand and seeing things from the front line, knowing multiple providers closing and receiving countless infant enquiries weekly that I have to turn away, and reading something slanderous towards home daycares in Ontario on a regular basis which is already pushing parents to centre care and not home daycares. It's going to impact people differently as there are always various challenges specific to a multitude of reasons. I'm going to be prepared and plan for every eventuality. I think I'd be foolish not to have a back up plan.

Yes it's a generalization but you just proved my point....if ON providers used to be able to fill all 5 with infants than filling 2 should be no problem. It's the over 2 spots that can sometimes be harder to fill. However, mat leave being 18 months won't change this....at least not that I can see right now. Like I said, TYPICALLY the infant spaces are easiest to fill. I actually know no provider who would disagree with that statement.

Here in MB, more and more schools are going to full day kinder as well. However, many dc's don't take part time so that's a moot point to many of us. I expect children to stay with me for 3-4 years. Mat leave being 18 months doesn't affect that by much. (Of course there are exceptions to this 3-4 is the norm)

I do agree though that this may limit some parents from looking into hdc's. However, centres only have so many infant spaces as well, so IMO, there will always be a need for hdc's.

Change is hard, I totally get that but I think if ON providers can look at how other provinces deal with the ratios, they will realize it can be done!

I also really don't see that many families taking 18 months vs 12. Like Suzy, IME, most can't afford it

[bright sparks]

Yes it's a generalization but you just proved my point....if ON providers used to be able to fill all 5 with infants than filling 2 should be no problem. It's the over 2 spots that can sometimes be harder to fill. However, mat leave being 18 months won't change this....at least not that I can see right now. Like I said, TYPICALLY the infant spaces are easiest to fill. I actually know no provider who would disagree with that statement.

Here in MB, more and more schools are going to full day kinder as well. However, many dc's don't take part time so that's a moot point to many of us. I expect children to stay with me for 3-4 years. Mat leave being 18 months doesn't affect that by much. (Of course there are exceptions to this 3-4 is the norm)

I do agree though that this may limit some parents from looking into hdc's. However, centres only have so many infant spaces as well, so IMO, there will always be a need for hdc's.

Change is hard, I totally get that but I think if ON providers can look at how other provinces deal with the ratios, they will realize it can be done!

I also really don't see that many families taking 18 months vs 12. Like Suzy, IME, most can't afford it

I have no doubt that Ontario providers will adapt, we will have to. I think there is a bitter taste in a lot of our mouths as this came on the tail of the hdc deaths and slanderous comments in the media all the time. This was supposed to be a change to increase safety of children but it does nothing to that effect. Just restricts our income making the adjustment significant enough for some that they are in hardship. If starting out with those restrictions already in place, you go in with a different mindset and approach for sure. I doubt there will be any issue filling infant spots for the foreseeable future but likely full capacity with waitlists will be a thing of the past and we will just have to deal with it. I hope you didn't find me condescending, I apologize as my disagreance was never meant to be as such, just not my experience so I commented as such. I only sought to vent on my initial concerns that there is a closing gap of potential children to care for and I worry that this will not help. Seems that I'm probably worrying for nothing given the consensus of peoples responses as not being to concerned. I guess given that I haven't had more than a handful of enquiries for over the age of two for a few years, that is likely fuelling my increasing worried state.

[5 Little Monkeys]

I have no doubt that Ontario providers will adapt, we will have to. I think there is a bitter taste in a lot of our mouths as this came on the tail of the hdc deaths and slanderous comments in the media all the time. This was supposed to be a change to increase safety of children but it does nothing to that effect. Just restricts our income making the adjustment significant enough for some that they are in hardship. If starting out with those restrictions already in place, you go in with a different mindset and approach for sure. I doubt there will be any issue filling infant spots for the foreseeable future but likely full capacity with waitlists will be a thing of the past and we will just have to deal with it. I hope you didn't find me condescending, I apologize as my disagreance was never meant to be as such, just not my experience so I commented as such. I only sought to vent on my initial concerns that there is a closing gap of potential children to care for and I worry that this will not help. Seems that I'm probably worrying for nothing given the consensus of peoples responses as not being to concerned. I guess given that I haven't had more than a handful of enquiries for over the age of two for a few years, that is likely fuelling my increasing worried state.

No worries. I understand that tone can get lost over text. I always fear my responses will come across wrong too lol. It's never my intent to offend or piss off anyone. Like you, I just state my opinion/thoughts.

Over the age of 2 can definitely be harder to fill but once you have a full roster, it's usually okay. Kids age out, infants move into toddler spaces and we start infants again. There are for sure dry times, especially when toddlers leave and we don't have infant space but at the most, it should hopefully only be a year, as than an infant spot opens again. If spaces are open too long, I'd honestly re-evaluate my program as quality dc is always needed. My area is over saturated with hdc's but I wouldn't say it's over saturated with quality ones. I do think this is the case in a lot of areas. There are more and more hdc horror stories because so many think it's an easy way to stay home and make money. We all know that's grossly untrue!!

I think you will be fine! but like you said, a backup plan is always a smart idea!

(I have 1, maybe 2 spaces opening this Fall so hopefully they're easy to fill and I'm not eating my own words lol. They can be infants though so I'm not too worried....altho, I don't really want infants haha)