EXCERPTS
British Columbians are not particularly swayed by the promise of a tax credit for families with young children and would prefer for the provincial government to increase affordability and access to child care spaces, a new survey conducted by Insights West for $10aDay has found.
The online survey of a representative sample of British Columbians shows that $10aDay-a proposal that seeks to increase the number of affordable child care spaces and improve wages and training of early childhood educators-is regarded as "beneficial" by 82% of British Columbians.
The federal government's decision to increase the monthly taxable Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) payment from $100 to $160 is regarded as beneficial by 62% of British Columbians. Even fewer (50%) perceive benefits in the provincial government's introduction of a monthly $55 tax credit for families with young children.
Most British Columbians (64%) believe it is better to fund services, in order to allow parents to have more opportunities to enroll their children in child care facilities. Only 22% of residents think it is better to provide cash for parents, so they can make a decision on how to allocate the funds for their children.
"British Columbians do not regard the new provincial tax credit as the solution to child care," says Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs, at Insights West. "The public ideologically and pragmatically is more supportive of a scenario that would make more child care spaces available to any British Columbian who requires them."
$10aDay
Three-in-four British Columbians (74%) support the $10aDay proposal, including 83% of those who have had recent experiences with child care. In addition, three-in-five residents would both consider voting for a political party that implemented $10-a-day (63%) and believe the plan is realistic (61%).
British Columbians are also keenly aware of some of the advantages that a real investment in child care would bring to the province, including a more effective workforce (83%), benefits to the economy and health care (72%), return on investment (64%) and more tax revenue for the province (63%).
"This poll shows the provincial government that voters are ready for the $10aDay Plan to be implemented," says Sharon Gregson, Spokesperson for the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC. "Children are a non-partisan issue and the child care crisis is one this government can fix now, so we can see more mothers able to work to support their families, more children having access to licensed quality care, as well as increased revenues for the government."