childcare-thumb-shutterstock_0-1.png
childcare-thumb-shutterstock_0-1.png This article is more than 10 years old

This baby gets $100 a month for child care. It’s not even close to enough.

Should a monthly cheque for $100 really be branded a child care program? That’s what the Conservative government doles out to parents for each kid under the age of six to provide “choice in child care.“ The problem with the “Universal Child Care Benefit”? The Child Care Resource and Research Unitcrunched the numbers, and found that […]

Should a monthly cheque for $100 really be branded a child care program?

That’s what the Conservative government doles out to parents for each kid under the age of six to provide “choice in child care.

The problem with the “Universal Child Care Benefit”? The Child Care Resource and Research Unitcrunched the numbers, and found that it covers only a tiny fraction of the actual cost of child care.

What’s worse? The annual cost ($2.5 billion) to what amounts to a government allowance for infants to pre-schoolers means $17.5 billion has been spent on the program since its launch in July 2006. To put that number in perspective, 700,000 child care spaces could be created each year with that kind of money to fill a huge need.

Currently, there are only enough regulated child care spaces in Canada for about 19% of children from infants to age 12, and it’s especially hard to find spots for infants and toddlers, according to the Let’sRethink Child Care campaign.

And for many families, child care is the second highest expense after housing for many families, so spending money on creating spaces would amount to far greater savings for families than the monthly $100 baby bonus cheque.

There’s more: for every $1 billion invested in child care, an estimated 30,000 jobs are created. (For context, $1 billion in corporate tax cuts creates an estimated 3,000 jobs.) 

But don’t take our word for it. Check out what parents are paying for child care:

Childcare costs and benefits

Photo: Shutterstock

Our journalism is powered by readers like you.

We’re an award-winning non-profit news organization that covers topics like social and economic inequality, big business and labour, and right-wing extremism.

Help us build so we can bring to light stories that don’t get the attention they deserve from Canada’s big corporate media outlets.

 

Donate
PressProgress
PressProgress is an award-winning non-profit news organization focused on uncovering and unpacking the news through original investigative and explanatory journalism.

Most Shared

thumb-2024-11-04 News

Take Back Alberta Leaders are Training ‘Scrutineers’ to Infiltrate Campaigns and Act as ‘Security’ on Voting Day

Related Stories

News

Police Investigating Violent Plots Aimed at Sikh Places of Worship and Law Enforcement in Surrey and Brampton

View the post
News

Former Conservative Minister’s Allegation Ottawa Citizen Journalist was a Soviet Spy is ‘False’ and ‘Unhinged’, National Security Committee Told

View the post
News

Russian-Linked Far-Right Media Personality Accused of Being In Contempt of Parliament by Canadian MPs

View the post
Our free email newsletter delivers award-winning journalism directly to your inbox.
Get Canadian Investigative News You Won't Find in Corporate Newspapers.
Our free email newsletter delivers award-winning journalism to your inbox.
Get Canadian Investigative News You Won't Find in Corporate Newspapers.