EXCERPTS
The province is providing funding to help create 1,700 new childcare spaces for non-profit and private child care providers. They’re providing grants of up to $500,000 for non-profit providers and $250,000 for private providers.
Childcare advocates say the new spaces don’t help make childcare more affordable, and are renewing their call for a $10-a-day provincial childcare program.
Simi Sara spoke with Anita Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade, which has been lobbying the federal government for a national childcare program.
While Huberman says they haven’t made much progress, there’s an opportunity for the federal government, in concert with the provincial government, to create the program now. And not just for the sake of families, but for the sake of businesses.
“From our perspective, its about making sure that labour supply is there. that women can return to the workforce, that all of those pieces really contribute to the overall economics productively. When kids are taken care of at home, workers are focused on what they need to do at work. Our research shows that (it) enhances the bottom line, that (it) enhances productivity and (it enhances) the overall economy.”
Huberman also says our economy is facing a skill shortage.
“It’s the number one productivity challenge. And so when we’re talking about our kids, especially in the early years, and motivating them to learn the skills and to be productive, studies have shown that proper childcare with childcare practitioners that are trained, that is so important to future labour supply.”
-reprinted from News Talk 980 CKNW