We have an obligation to take care of the most vulnerable
members of our city and that includes our children and our
senior citizens. So when I hear about plans on cutting hundreds
of subsidized day care spots across the city it makes my blood
boil and I have to ask, “What are they thinking?”
The parents who are in the most need for subsidized day care are
obviously the single parents or families who earn less than
$20,000 in taxable income per year. They would be eligible to
receive the full subsidy for child care services and because of
their low income they do not need to contribute anything towards
child care costs, if they have one of the licensed subsidized
spaces. Each day care is allotted so many subsidized spaces and
they are handed out on a first-come basis, so it is not easy to
find a subsidized space. And now the city is proposing to cut
back on the number of spaces.
With this policy if a high income family holds a subsidized
space, the cost to the city for the subsidy is lower than if
that spot is held by someone with a low income. Therefore, more
subsidized spaces can be maintained for the same amount of
money. Unfortunately, this means that there are some subsidized
spaces being held by families with a taxable income of over
$80,000. At that level the family is only required to pay a
monthly contribution of $1166 with the remainder being
subsidized. So if there are three children in day care, this can
be quite a large subsidy.
We need to examine the child services system we currently have
in place to make sure that we are providing assistance to the
parents who need it the most – those with a family taxable
income of less than $20,000. Someone with a young child who is
just getting into the job market with a taxable income of less
than $20,000 will have a difficult time finding an available
subsidized space and may therefore have to pay full price while
the children of parents in the same day care earning a taxable
income of $80,000 will receive a subsidy.
I will be recommending a complete review of our child care
subsidy program and seeking amendments that will help us provide
assistance to those most in need. This may mean that the city
will be required to find more money to put into our subsidy
program, even if the money is not forthcoming from the province.
I do not want to see anyone who is currently receiving a subsidy
to be penalized. My plan would see them continuing to remain in
the program with the same subsidy level as they currently have,
but once they leave the program, that spot would be provided to
a low income family.
We must consider opening up more subsidized spaces specifically
for those who are earning less than $20,000 per year in taxable
income. We may need to create a separate budget line for those
who meet the “low income test”. But if that is what is needed,
it is what we must do. We cannot abandon our low income families
who require our assistance the most.
For more on Robert Kirwan’s campaign visit
www.robertkirwan.ca
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