A national study released on May 11, 2000 shows low wages, inadequate funding and a lack of skilled teachers are putting child care at risk.

You Bet I Care, a 248 page study by five university-affiliated researchers includes surveys of staff across Canada, and concludes:

"The situation is due to the absence of co-ordinated…child-care policies, insufficient funding and a weak commitment to child care by governments and society in general."

Human Resources Development Canada’s Child-Care Vision program provided the funding for the $577,000 study.

The study’s authors state that "governments must take the lead, in partnership with business, labour, parents and communities to ensure that public policies and funding…(support) high quality, stable care and education for children."

Data was collected in 1998 from 848 surveys of full-time child care centres for ages ranging from infancy to six. Another 848 surveys were completed by centre directors and more than 4,000 by staff.

Questions were asked about wages, working conditions, fees, professional development, funding as well as other issues. The study found a very high turnover rate – 1 in 5 – often the most qualified child care centre teachers and directors. The greatest reason for resignation was cited as low wages.

Across Canada, the average salary for a full-time teacher was $22,717. The study compared this salary with that of parking lot attendants, who in 1996, earned on average $21,038.

Some things noted in the study included:

• Between 1991 and 1998 government funding to child care centres was cut or eliminated in Alberta, New Brunswick, Newfoundland-Labrador, Ontario and Prince Edward Island.
• Eleven percent (11%) of teachers lacked specific training.
• Nationally, forty-six percent (46%) of centres were full, up from 37.5 percent in 1991.
• Vacancy rates of, on average, 8.4 percent, were blamed on high fees.

A high quality national child care program is essential to early development and learning. Labour must press the federal and provincial governments to take on the task of making child care accessible to all Canadian families, and ensure those individuals, both teachers and directors, employed in these centres are provided with a adequate training, along with a living salary and benefits.

Failing to do anything to remedy this situation has dire consequences for both children and workers.

What can you do?
Demand the federal government demonstrate the vision, political will and commitment to children by allocating funds to a national child care program.

Call for the provincial government to demonstrate their responsibility to children in their budgets. Demand they cooperate with the federal government, as well as allocating their own resources.

Check out the Canadian Labour Congress’ National Child Care Campaign online at http://www.clc-ctc.ca