Mothers 'shouldn't have to choose between a family or a career'
Following in the steps of other provinces and territories, the Ontario government has reached a deal with Ottawa for a $10-a-day child-care program.
As a result, the federal government has now reached similar agreements with all of Canada, including British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Yukon, Alberta, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and Saskatchewan.
Back in December 2020, the federal government announced that it was looking to build a Canada-wide early learning and child care system.
Ottawa will be providing Ontario with $10.2 billion over a five-year period which should see child-care fees lowered by 25 per cent by April 1, with a further 25 per cent decrease a year from now.
The overall savings will add up to $6,000 per child per year, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“Parents, especially moms, shouldn’t have to choose between family or a career,” he says. “Accessible, high-quality child care is key to building a stronger future, a more resilient economy and growing the middle class.”
The agreement also includes a plan to create 86,000 new child-care spaces in Ontario by 2026.
“It’s a great deal for Ontario parents and the right deal for Ontarians,” says Ontario Premier Doug Ford. “It includes built-in protections for Ontario taxpayers against any shortfalls, including an automatic review in year 3 to make sure the actual costs of the program are funded.”
Nearly half of men and women say that they are unable to focus on work while their kids are home, according to a survey by LinkedIn. And female workers have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic compared with their male counterparts, according to an earlier report.
