Universal daycare is not a pipedream

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/06/2024 (486 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Universal child care was never the priority when we formed government in 2016.

Creating more child-care spaces in a publicly funded system, more options in a private market, deeper subsidies for those who needed help with parent fees, and a better working environment were our PC government’s initial, lofty-yet-mostly-unrealized goals.

That all changed on July 19, 2021.

I’d been summoned to the premier’s office, who at the time was under fire for making unrelated comments. One cabinet minister had already resigned, and I’d just spoken to the media about my concerns as well. I’d assumed I was walking into the premier’s office for the last time as a cabinet minister and would soon be relieved of my duties.

Yet something entirely else happened.

Inside his office, the premier had his Globe & Mail newspaper spread out in front of him and was likely perusing all the relevant stories about the Liberal government’s new $10-a-day childcare plan. Manitoba’s initial offering was $1.2 billion over five years to create 23,000 new, affordable spaces and enhance the wages in the sector to $25 per hour.

The premier asked if I thought this federal Liberal plan was good policy for Manitoba families, and I said yes.

He then asked about income testing to ensure spaces were fairly allocated with priority for those most in need, and whether new spaces in the private market would be eligible. I shook my head and began explaining why Manitoba needed to acquiesce to the contingents placed by the federal Liberals.

He listened contemplatively, and even though it’s unlikely I’d convinced him entirely, when I was finished, he told me to go ahead and make the deal.

On Aug. 9, 2021, Manitoba signed on to the federal plan.

That sunny, summer day was filled with optimism. I knew this unprecedented childcare deal wouldn’t solve all the woes within the sector immediately, just as I knew the provincial department responsible for executing this extraordinary new program was understaffed and overwhelmed. Certain things had to happen to ensure those who needed childcare the most would gain access, waiting lists needed to be better managed, the governance model for centres needed an overhaul, and most urgently, a plan for a massive capital expansion needed to be significantly prioritized.

I kept thinking, who’s going to build all these new child care spaces?

A major gap in policy that I believe is still unaddressed concerns the distribution of capital dollars: non-profit child-care centres can receive funding for renovation and expansion only, but not land or building acquisitions. Until this gets amended, many existing and would-be centres will never be able to contribute to the overall goal of achieving 23,000 new spaces.

Further, I knew the system would undergo significant strain if the $10-per-day plan was rolled out before these new spaces were created. For demand to increase without a correlating bump in supply would be disastrous, tantamount to picking winners and losers among Manitoba families, with a disparity of upwards of $30 per day in costs for those using the private system, and no child care at all for those languishing on waitlists.

Yet I believed those challenges could be solved. With an extra $1.2 billion (on top of the current provincial spend — at the time just under $200 million annually), and two levels of government working together, a hard-working sector, and significant demand that far outweighs supply, how could it not?

Of course it’s going to work — right?

A recent Free Press investigation suggests otherwise. It highlights some major shortcomings of a system in crisis.

Most urgently, the understaffed sector needs significant revitalization. Even with the pay bump plus a recently introduced tuition-subsidy program to increase enrolment in ELCC training, it’s nowhere near where it needs to be.

Further, the department responsible for licensure and providing sector support needs strengthening. And the outdated model of governance for each child-care centre needs a revamp. Currently, centres are governed by volunteer boards of directors — often tired, overworked parents who get cajoled into the position, then receive minimal training and are given tremendous responsibility for overseeing child safety, finances, provincial standards, and dealing with families.

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Yes, a lot of work needs to be done.

Yet having said all that, and despite significant challenges on the horizon, thousands of people in this province, along with two levels of government, are dedicated to building a robust, universal child-care system.

Much has been accomplished in the last three years, and with a united front, forward momentum, and millions of new dollars, I have no doubt more will fall into place.

Manitoba families deserve nothing less.

Rochelle Squires is a recovering politician after 7 1/2 years in the Manitoba legislature. She is a political and social commentator whose column appears Tuesdays. rochelle@rochellesquires.ca