Many daycare Operators, who are planning to apply to become a designated Early Learning Centre, are applauding this move by the provincial government to ensure no family will pay more than 20 percent of their income for child care.
Owner of Home With a Heart Daycare Janice Sutherland says it is a win win for most of the parents who have children under the age of 5, “if you have a family that makes $37, 500 and under, they’re going to cover their whole cost. If you have a family that makes over that, you’re still going to be able to apply. You’re just not going totally covered, you’re going to get a percentage covered. When you apply, they base it on your salary, so it can be a two parent family. Even if they get $5 a day, that ends up as $25. It’s going to take a lot of pressure off families.”
Sutherland says unlicensed childcare centres could eventually be a thing of the past though, because parents will have to pay more for care in those centres. They won’t benefit from this government initiative.
She says when it comes to childcare every little bit helps, “This is going to have a great effect on our economy, because more parents will choose to go back to work, instead of staying home.”
