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Opinion: Child-care program is the right thing to do

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Author: 
Friendly, Martha
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Article
Publication Date: 
21 Mar 2017
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Re: Finance minister focuses on women in workforce, March 17

Great to see that Finance Minister Bill Morneau intends to “help more women enter the workforce,” a productivity-boosting focus urged by his Economic Growth Advisory Council.

The minister should read past this article to the editorial page, where he will find a proposal for making this a success. The editorial “Don't skimp on child care” notes: the $500 million for child care expected in his budget next week is good to get started but it needs to grow every year for a decade if child care is to become accessible, affordable and high quality.

This is demonstrably needed if Minister Morneau wants to “help more women enter the workforce.” (Or, as the advisory council urged, “mothers with young children.”)

The editorial rightly says that Canada's inaccessible child care (scarce spaces, astronomical fees) is bad not only for families and children but for the economy. Additionally, of course, being generous with low- and middle-class families by not skimping on a much-needed child-care program is the right thing for Canada to do.

Martha Friendly, director of the Childcare Resource and Research Unit, Toronto

-reprinted from The Toronto Star

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