Harper Harping

Before decideing to go back to school, to presue an education in Journalism, I was an ECE at a daycare in the East end of Toronto. I was at this daycare for five years and, in fact, now that I have been locked out of my college by the faculty, I have gone back to pick up some supply work. Having been an ECE for a number of years I know a thing or two about regulated child care in this country.

One of the most lasting lessons I learned from this work was that children don't see eachother in terms of income. The child of a low-income family will happily play with the child of a more wealthy family. If only adults, especially those who currently helm this nation, could see the world through the eyes of a child.

According to Harper's child care plan parents will recieve $1200 per year for every child under the age of six, which, Harper says, will give parents a choice about what kind of care parents want to provide for their children.

Lets break this down. $1200 per year equals $100 per month, weekly that breaks down to $25. This is about enough for about two and a half hours of babysitting (and yes, babysitting one child these days does cost about $10 per hour). Why that's just enough for a stay-at-home house wife to do her weekly grocery shopping, surprise, surprise. What a joke. I'm not nieve enough to assume that Harper does not relize that not every parent has the financial means to choose to stay at home, I think he just doesn't care. This is just another example of politicos helping only those who don't need it.

While it is true that many higher income familys may have a choice for one parent to stay home with the kids, many choose not to and these parents don't want to be demonized for this choice, nor do they want to pay out the entirety of their second income towards daycare. To the rest, $1200 a year is simply laughable.

Regulated, reliable and safe childcare in Ontario can cost as much as $1200 per month, in other words parents who choose not too keep their kids at home or those who have no choice will have a whole month of child care paid for by Harper. Never mind that this plan does not adress the extream lack of regulated childcare spaces, that the daycares that are out there are badly in need of more funding or the fact that ECEs are underpaid for the work that they do.