Harper may have the right idea on childcare give the parents the money and let them decide the best place. Alas, the Conservative plan has two problems.

Firstly, $1200/yr is not enough. Good daycare costs $50 a day or more. So Harper’s plan would cover only 1 month. For a year, or 250 workdays, the cost would be $12,500 per pre-school child. With this rate, it would make sense for some parents to stay home with two or more children. Of course, this should be considered taxable income to maximise the benefit to the working or stay-at-home poor and minimise the subsidy to richer parents and the hit on taxpayers. The money would have to come monthly or weekly and not fourteen months later at tax time. Another alternative would be to integrate it into Employment Insurance and have maternity/paternity leave lasting 6 years, with non-payers (like students) allowed to apply.

But secondly, Harper’s plan does nothing to setup or maintain day care or preschool standards or facilities. Will children end up in uninspected overcrowded homes run by untrained nonparents? Will we start hearing of increased child sicknesses or injuries or abuse or worse?

So, Mr. Harper, make your childcare plan realistic and safe if you want my vote.

tOM Trottier

via e-mail