A: Federal funding has had a big impact on early learning and child care delivery. Parents across the country are paying less for care. In eight jurisdictions the cost is only $10 per day. However, finding care is more difficult as demand outstrips supply. But even as supply increases difficulties recruiting and retaining staff remains a challenge to increased access.
A. Serious efforts are being made to retain staff. Six jurisdictions have mandated wage grids (Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Québec, and Nunavut), and the Northwest Territories’ is in development. Others provide wage supplements. Prince Edward Island, Québec, and Manitoba have public pension plans, with Nova Scotia’s in development. Prince Edward Island and Québec have public benefit plans, with Nova Scotia’s in development. These are the types of compensation systems needed to attract and retain qualified staff.
A. At this phase of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Plan, $15 billion was available to provinces and territories but only $4.5 billion was budgeted. It is reasonable to ask why available funding was not used. Funding formulas based on parent fee replacement and wage top-ups can penalize providers. Operators that charged the highest fees going into the CWELCC get more than those who worked to keep fees low. The stingiest operators are now increasing their staff wages using public funds, while those who always prioritized fair wages may receive nothing. It’s hard not to question whether underfunding is designed to maintain the status quo.
A. Governments do not always provide sufficient funding to meet the actual cost of new builds and renovations. This offers advantages to for-profit operators, which can take their public down payment to a bank and secure the necessary funding to expand. Non-profit organizations do not have that option. The inability of the non-profit sector to respond to parent frustration over insufficient access creates a greenfield for big box child care. International chains are buying up smaller for-profit operators, and investment capital is showing an enhanced interest in acquisitions.
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