“I am a mother of two children (5 years and 2 years) and aside from the occasional city-run morning play group, I have essentially had them both home with me full time. That was until the eldest started school last year. My husband and I are both creatives and basically support the four of us on a single income (and a meager one by any standard). I am “lucky” in that I didn’t have a career I was obligated to rush back to after having my kids so there was no immediate urgency to secure childcare. It would have been more than helpful to have been able to find affordable part time care, but it felt like subsidies were only awarded to those already in full time employment. This put me in a catch-22, as I couldn’t afford to take on work without the promise of guaranteed, subsidized care – because as a chef I would have earned less than the hourly rate charged for the child care spot.
I’m not suggesting that child care is not worth the expense, but who can afford it says a lot about what our society values. I am lucky that I have been and am still happy enough to be home, and that we live modestly enough that we can afford for me to do it. But honestly it was (and still is) hard. It’s especially difficult because I feel it would have been beneficial for my kid to have had the opportunity to blossom during that sustained time away from our home in a caring environment with early childhood educators.”
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This is not good enough. Families should not have to be “lucky” enough to afford child care for their child. No family should feel pushed out of the system. We need to do better for children, families and educators. The Federal government announced plans to build a national child care system. Ontario needs this. Children, families, and educators deserve this. We need Ontario to work cooperatively with the Feds.
Share your story. Sign the petition. Rise up for child care.
https://www.childcareontario.org/risingup