Lack of Accessible Childcare Spaces Continues to Be Significant Issue
Last week a report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) gave a misleading impression of the state of childcare on Prince Edward Island according to Island New Democrats.
The CCPA report indicated that there was only one child-care desert on PEI—the least in Canada—with four per cent of younger children living in one postal code in East Royalty struggling to access care.
NDP Women’s Committee Chair, Marian White, believes that this is ‘false and incomplete’.
The reason why PEI ranks so high is not because things are going well, necessarily; but because the state of childcare is much worse across the country with the exception of Quebec. Some of this has changed with the bilateral agreements; however, PEI has consistently been one of the higher ranked provinces in a system that is in crisis across the country.
When talking to parents struggling to find spaces and access quality, affordable, childcare in PEI, it doesn’t really match up with where we end up in the ratings. Many families tell us that they put their names on the wait list with several daycare centres within a 50 km radius of their home and/or workplace when they first become pregnant, but almost 2 years later when they require a space, they are still waiting. This means those parents, usually the female, have to make difficult decisions, such as not returning to good paying jobs (ie. teachers, nurses, accountants, etc.), enlisting grandparents or elderly great-grandparents to provide childcare, or seeking part-time employment for times that match up with potential family members’ availability to help out. This is not at all adequate or equitable for women trying to contribute to society!
Michelle Hodgson, the NDP candidate in Belfast-Murray River in last month’s election, stated “Getting the cost of daycare down is half the battle. The other problem is finding qualified staff and accessing available spaces that are few and far between.” Ms Hodgson, who is fortunate to have a child in daycare, noted that the main problem on the Island is that there are no childcare spaces open for families.
In PEI’s bilateral agreement with the federal government, the PEI Conservative government committed to exploring ways to work with the non-profit sector to provide childcare services. The provincial government has done nothing to fulfill this obligation to date.
While families continue to experience an acute lack of childcare spaces, the PEI government has ignored their obligation to support families, communities, and community groups to create non-profit services which could fill many of the existing gaps.
For media enquiries, contact Marian White at 902 330-2248 or info@ndppei.ca
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