International Family Childcare Association -

Ottawa Citizen

OTTAWA — The City of Ottawa should be giving subsidies for child-care space to families rather than child-care agencies, according to an audit released Wednesday.

Auditor General Alain Lalonde’s audit of children’s services found that those families most in need are not necessarily getting the help they need in the current system. Ottawa is the only city in Ontario that gives the fee subsidies to agencies rather than families in need.

The report also says the current centralized waiting list doesn’t accurately reflect the true need for the service in the city.

OECD Reports:

Full-day kindergarten, on the other hand, is to be available to any Ontario family that wants it, regardless of its situation. Besides being inefficient, universality of this sort can actually have a perverse impact on inequality, the OECD suggests, “since scarce resources to combat inequality are spread more thinly.”

Given looming constraints on social spending budgets across Canada, it makes sense to spend the limited funds that are available on those children who really need the help.

This email was sent to all MP’s in Canada and unfortunately we only got one response, see email below.

Women are stepping back from the career track to do the mom-and-family
thing - not because they must, but because they can

Margaret Wente speaks the truth about women and work. Unfortunately
governments and advocates don’t see it that way.

My story is a bit different from the “so called professional women” in
society today. I’m referred to as the uneducated baby machine who relies
on her husband to keep her pedicures and manicures coming. Though I’ve
never had a pedicure or a manicure in my life, most people find what I
do just above the welfare line.

Since I was little I wanted to be a mother, not a doctor or a bus driver
just a mother. I worked odd jobs over the years and attempted at a
financial career going after a trader position but when it came down to
the crunch I could not do both, so I went back to just being a mother.

Now my children are all in school. This is the dilemma, no education, no
real experience and no hopes for a pension plan beside Old Age Security
& CPP.

All because I wanted to be just a MOTHER.

http://choiceforchildcare.blogspot.com/2009/09/untold-truth-about-women-and-work.html#links

–
Thank you,
Sara Landriault
stay at home mom
*President*, National Family Childcare Association
www.careofthechild.com
www.incomesplitting.org
landriault@ripnet.com

Dear Sara,

Thank you very much for your email. It is a wonderful thing to know at such an early age what will truly bring one happiness. Many people search their entire lives for this. In Canada, it is a great privilege for many women to be able to choose to stay home and care for their children. Sadly, many women do not have this privileged choice and are forced to work to provide the basic necessities for their families. There are also many women who choose to work as well. With women in such different circumstances, it is the government’s responsibility to look after the most vulnerable in the population. The most vulnerable women are those who are forced to work in order to make ends meet. Having affordable childcare would be the first step in making sure these families do not fall below the poverty line.

I also firmly believe that women who are fortunate enough to be able to stay home and raise their children should not be left with little hope of work or pension later in life. Government supported programs to retrain women after taking time off paid work to raise children or look after elderly, ill or disabled family members should be made a priority.

Thank you again for your email.

Sincerely,

Irene Mathyssen