Chapter 4 Learning Objectives and Summary

Learning Objectives

• To recognize different theoretical approaches to daycare and early childhood education.
• To interpret the facts about childcare in Canada.
• To explain why the early years matter the most to children.
• To identify the ways in which children, parents, and the general population can benefit from improvements to early childcare.
• To recognize barriers to daycare and early childhood education.
• To identify the results of unequal access to daycare and early childhood education.

Summary

Theoretical Perspectives on Childcare and Early Education

Functionalists view the family as chiefly responsible for socializing children and suggest that a stable source of home-based education and care is preferable to daycare. Moreover, they argue that the traditional, nuclear family form is better than any other because it provides steady integration and a set of rules to live by. Conflict theorists accept that with industrialization, families moved from being self-sustaining economic units to consumption units. This meant that working-class men had to sell their labour power to the capitalists in exchange for a salary, while women gained exclusive control over the home. Feminist sociologists highlight the unpaid work that women do when taking care of their children (the “second shift”). They also note that childcare can limit women’s aspirations and job opportunities. Feminists often support policies such as flexible work arrangements, parental leave policies, and a universal childcare program. Finally, social constructionists focus on the development and use of family ideologies, such as when “family values” become channeled into hostility against certain disadvantaged groups and undermine support for childcare activists.

Ten Facts You Need to Know about Childcare in Canada

According to Gøsta Esping-Andersen, there are three main categories of welfare capitalism, distinguished by the degree of de-commodification and the stratification they produce in society. Liberal regimes provide modest aid to low-income recipients and encourage market solutions (e.g., private health insurance) to personal problems (e.g., poor health). Conservative regimes also provide modest aid to low-income recipients, but instead of relying on the market to provide the rest, they rely on families to do so. Social democratic regimes provide more generous aid to every citizen, paid out of general taxes. Canada can be seen as a mix of social democratic and liberal or conservative regimes, with variation in welfare regimes from one province to another. With this in mind, here are 10 things we know for certain about childcare in Canada today:

1. The early years set the stage for life.
2. Childcare in Canada is market determined.
3. Some facilities are regulated, but many are not.
4. There are not enough regulated childcare spots in Canada.
5. Childcare is expensive.
6. Some families are eligible for subsidies.
7. Many families who need subsidies don’t get them, and some that do still can’t afford childcare.
8. Parents are forced to find alternatives.
9. Canada lags behind in support for early childhood care and education.
10. People are calling for a universal childcare program.

Children

Young children who are nurtured in reliable, kind, stimulating, and caring environments reap multiple benefits. They often have higher intelligence scores, better nutrition and health, improved social and emotional behaviour, and a sense of agency. They also have better academic and financial outcomes later in life. Good-quality early childhood care especially benefits children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Some believe the best place for young children is at home with their parents. They advocate for increasing and extending parental leave payments and developing more resources for stay-at-home parents. However, this choice may only be feasible for the better off. Others suggest that young children are cared for just as well (or better) in childcare centres, where they are exposed to well-equipped facilities, group interaction, and routine. Ultimately, no sweeping generalization can be made about this issue; rather, there needs to be a range of good quality educational and care services to choose from at reasonable cost.

Parents

There are two reasons the provision of childcare impacts women more than men. The first is that women are more likely to be lone parents. The second is that childcare has played an essential role in helping the entry of mothers into the labour force. However, even with women’s entry into the workforce, childcare is still a gendered responsibility, and this in part serves to explain the enduring gender wage gap. It has been argued that providing better access to early childhood education and care is the best way to address the wage gap and boost female labour participation.

            Even in societies with progressive attitudes about gender equality, men often fail to take on as much domestic labour as women. However, sociologists find the most equal contributions are among younger spouses, and more fathers are also choosing to be stay-at-home dads.

            Mothers’ increased involvement in the labour force can be attributed to decreasing workplace discrimination, high postsecondary enrolment for women, and parental leave policies. Most importantly, many mothers want to work outside the home. Two-parent families enjoy the financial benefits of dual incomes, and mothers feel more financially independent and protected.

            When their children are in quality childcare, parents feel comfort knowing that their children are growing and learning in a safe, nurturing environment. Moreover, many parents feel that early childhood educators do a better job teaching their children than they could.

Who Is Everyone?

Many Canadians demand that the government create a fully subsidized, nationally regulated childcare program. There are two reasons used to defend the argument that childcare is a public interest. The “social good” reason argues that we all have an interest in healthy, well-adjusted children because they will become healthy, well-adjusted adults. The “economic good” reason argues that good childcare centres improve the economy. As a business venture, childcare centres stimulate the economy. Widespread employment leads to more taxable income and thereby more tax funds. Similarly, childcare frees up women to both earn and consume actively. Childcare is also an investment in the future economic contributions of the children in care. Finally, it allows parents who are on social assistance to return to work.

            Quebec is the only province in Canada that has set up a universal, regulated, low-fee childcare system. In Quebec, childcare costs range from $8–$21 per day, depending on a family’s income. The provincial government pays the rest of the costs. Economists show that these costs are recouped by the economic contributions of working parents. Elsewhere in Canada, balancing work and family life continues to be a huge problem.

            There are four strategies states use to help women combine employment and care. The carer strategy sees the husband as the breadwinner and the wife as the caregiver. Part-time employment is considered the best way for women to combine work and care. The earner strategy encourages both men and women to take part in the labour market through policies against gender discrimination in employment, but little effort is made by the government to address the tension between work and family brought on by childcare responsibilities. The choice strategy provides women with more freedom to choose between providing care or engaging in full-time employment. Finally, the earner-carer strategy envisions a society where informal carework and employment are equally shared between men and women. Of the four strategies, the earner strategy is associated with the highest levels of family poverty.

Low-Income Families. Many low-income families are the ones that need quality childcare the most, but childcare costs are an especially challenging barrier for these families. High childcare fees may prevent parents from seeking employment, thus perpetuating poverty. Other low-income families may only be able to pay for substandard care. Substandard care is often the result of a lack of employee training and low earnings. In general, early childhood educators’ salaries are lower than other kinds of teachers. This low wage contributes to rapid turnover in the field and deters qualified job seekers with the necessary training.

            Childcare fees are subsidized for low-income families in all Canadian provinces and territories. However, families in different provinces receive different subsidies, which affects whether these families can afford childcare.

Parents with Unusual Jobs. Canadians are increasingly working non-standard or precarious jobs. Many of these jobs may be seasonal or require irregular hours. Most childcare centres do not offer extended or flexible hours to meet the needs of parents working these kinds of jobs. Also, most subsidy arrangements are tied to employment. A self-employed parent must earn a certain amount each year for their employment status to be recognized, which may be challenging for parents whose incomes rise and fall widely.

Rural Families. Rural parents may have special scheduling needs, as they are more likely to be engaged in seasonal work. Others may have a long commute if they work in urban areas, and so would need extended care before and after the workday. Finally, well-regulated, good-quality childcare options may not be available in rural areas.

Recently Arrived Immigrant Families. Currently, there is no national program in place to help train caregivers to deliver language skill development programs or to work with the increasingly varied cultural backgrounds present in childcare centres. Parents may have to make tough decisions between quality, cost, and culturally appropriate care.

Indigenous Peoples in Canada. The federal government supports childcare programs on-reserve and in Inuit communities and funds some off-reserve Indigenous childcare as well. Despite this support, there are still not enough regulated childcare spaces for Indigenous children. Further, the available spots may not meet the unique cultural needs of this population.

Parents of Children with Special Needs. Legislation requires that children with special needs be guaranteed access to public school, but no such law exists for childcare. All provinces and territories offer subsidies to provide funding for families with children that need special supports in childcare environments; however, there are not enough childcare centres able to accommodate children with special needs. Childcare directors may turn away children with special needs because they cannot afford upgrades to their facility, extra staff training, or the cost of hiring more staff. Moreover, concerns around inclusion continue after the child is registered.

Consequences of Unequal Access to Daycare and Early Childhood Education

If we do not provide affordable, quality childcare opportunities, inequality continues throughout life and society. Little improves for those who are disadvantaged, because they are limited by what they didn’t get when they were young. Good-quality childcare and early childhood education is not the cure-all to social inequality, but it plays an essential role in solving the problem and returns benefits far more significant than the money invested.

Strategies of Resistance

Government-level policies can improve access to childcare. In British Columbia, the 2018 budget called for sweeping changes, including the creation of 22,000 licensed childcare spaces, a childcare fee-reduction initiative, an affordable childcare benefit, and the conversion of 2,500 childcare spaces into spaces that cost $200 a month or less. In Ontario, the NDP under Andrea Horwath is promising a comparable plan. Quebec, Manitoba, and PEI have lowered the costs of childcare for residents by fixing fees at lower costs than the market rate.

            At the organizational level, some large corporations have adjusted their policies, provided new employee benefits and services, and even reformed their organizational cultures to support their employees with family responsibilities. Unfortunately, family-friendly workplace policies are only available to a minority of families. While roughly one-third of Canadian employees have flextime, access to other family-friendly work arrangements is rare. Unions have played a part in pressing for more workplace benefits and gender equality, including more flextime. Another popular family-friendly workplace initiative is onsite daycare for young children.

            At the individual level, daycare co-operatives and collectives have sprung up in Toronto and Montreal. These organizations are created when a group of parents come together to provide accessible early childcare to their community. One example is the Montreal Childcare Collective, which provides free childcare for community groups during meetings and demonstrations.