The day care kit

Year Published:  1983
Resource Type:  Book
Cx Number:  CX2821

Abstract: 
In every industrialized country, more woemn do paid work than do not, most of them full-time. The two earner family is the largest single family type. The response to this in terms of societal responsibility for child care, has become a central social policy question in many countries. THE DAY CARE KIT is designed to give parents, day care workers, students and concerned citizens an overview of the Canadian day care situaiton. Comparisons with other industrialized countries are included, as well as descriptions of legislation, funding arrangements, staff ratios and training, and the current problems in each province.

The authors explore three policy options for improving Canada's child care system. The first option is changeing the Income Tax Act to allow parents to deduct the full amount of their child care costs. The second is to establish a "publicly funded, not-for-proft, non-compulsory day care system incorporating a variety of services in neighbourhood day care resource centres." Such centres would include parent-child-drop-ins emergency child care, nursery schools, supervised home care, toy lending services, etc. The third is reforming the Canada Assistance Plan to provide funding for day care on a universal basis. This option would leave the basic subsidy system intact while paving the way for provincial governments to apply for federal cost-sharing of day care grants.

"Without an orgnizaiton, the demand for good day care can be singularly unproductive and individual make-do child care solutions will prevail." THE DAY CARE KIT includes a 20-page section on "Building an Organizaiton" as well as an extensive list, by province, of day care lobby groups.