Adding DayCare To The Social System

in #life6 years ago (edited)


People in Ontario are going to the polls this June to choose a new provincial government. In our social democracy - the role of the provincial government is to provide services for citizens of the province. Our universal health care system, our publicly funded Catholic and secular schools, transit and roads. The province is essentially responsible for maintaining social programs and managing its money.

The current government spends 12b a year more than it makes. There is a serious contender who people are comparing to Donald Trump (which makes me not want to vote with him). He is the only contender with any hope of winnning. As a conservative he promises to balance the budget and create an economy with less regulation.

The problem is - all of our other parties are left leaning (in a major way). Despite the financial imbalance - other parties have made promises like free prescription drugs - or free daycare.

Free daycare has been a mainstay in provinces like Quebec.

Should daycare be free?

If I were a working Mom in my 20s or 30s - I probably wouldn't want to pay for daycare. Does that mean that its the best way to use government funds? Everyone knows that the government spends significantly more on social programs than it would cost the private system to run. There is also the issue of small business. Government rarely integrates the private sector into the public sector - they will create spots at their facilities rather than providing tax incentives or rebates.

Should we have a free daycare system? In an ideal world absolutely. It seems absurd yo start kindergarten at such a young age without going the extra mile and providing it for the first 2 years of life as well.

Should we create a new daycare system? Of course not. If the government wants to help women who want to return to the workforce - they should continue to allow people to choose their own care - and subsidize it. Anyone who has shopped around for daycare will tell you its really hard to find the right one at the right price. Some people pay a fortune so they can login on the internet as see their kid in real time - other people choose home care or family. The government should support all forms of childcare up to Junior Kindergarten - in the form of a tax rebate.

Tax rebates are more of a pain than government run facilities because you have to pay upfront and wait for the money. There are daycare's now that cater to those people who have a hard time paying for daycare. If there is any social system for daycare it probably would have to be a hybrid - a mixture of tax breaks and free spots (depending on the families financial situation).

Making life easier for new families and mothers in particular is never a bad idea as long as its genuine and not political pandering.

Ryan Geddes is a writer and entreprenuer located in Toronto Canada. When he's not writing, hes helping with House&Canvas Furniture Paint.

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