Conservative Platform Fails Working Parents on Child Care
"An extra $2.67 doesn't go far when you're paying $1000 per month in child care fees," says Don Davies, Federal NDP candidate for Vancouver Kingsway.
An extra $2.67 per month is all Stephen Harper and the Conservatives have promised to give working families who rely on child care.
"Despite the fact that child care remains one of the biggest challenges facing working families today, the Conservatives have released a platform that offers no new funding for spaces and literally pocket change to cover the rising cost of fees," argues Davies.
Canadian families need real support to address the rising cost of quality child care, not minor tinkering with the $100 per month taxable benefit.
"Access to quality, affordable child care is an essential part of a healthy economy, yet it's barely mentioned in the Conservative platform," he says.
Davies points out that high quality, licensed child care programs - like the ones offered at Collingwood Neighbourhood House in his riding of Vancouver-Kingsway - cost more than $1000 per month for infant and toddler care. Collingwood has over 1,000 children on its waitlist.
Davies says the NDP will replace the existing child-care benefit with a new, enhanced child benefit that would provide families with up to $400 per month, per child. An NDP government would also create 150,000 new child care spaces in the first year growing to 220,000 spaces in the fourth year.
