tag:theconversation.com,2011:/global/topics/child-care-policy-32517/articleschild care policy – The Conversation2021-10-31T11:56:41Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1696052021-10-31T11:56:41Z2021-10-31T11:56:41ZOutdoor play in Canada should continue beyond the COVID-19 pandemic<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427879/original/file-20211021-27-ijtb1j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=73%2C5%2C1530%2C1159&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Kids tobogganing at Carlington Park in Ottawa during the Family Day long weekend 2021. The pandemic has presented significant new opportunities to move society in a direction that increases outdoor active play for children. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick </span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 175px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/outdoor-play-in-canada-should-continue-beyond-the-covid-19-pandemic" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>An important incidental change that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic has been our collective rediscovery of the outdoors. As we begin building back better, we have an opportunity to leverage this re-engagement to enhance our connection with the outdoors and improve child health and development. </p>
<p>As a postdoctoral fellow working in child and youth mental health promotion and a research manager for <a href="https://www.outdoorplaycanada.ca/">Outdoor Play Canada</a>, we are examining new ways to increase young people’s access to the outdoors to promote their social, emotional, mental and physical health. </p>
<p>The pandemic highlighted major <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.healthplace.2020.102418">inequities in access to natural spaces</a> across Canadian communities, but it has also presented a significant opportunity to support <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2020.1795386">social justice and equity</a> by reconsidering policies governing the use of urban outdoor spaces like residential streets. This approach, along with other strategies, can move society in a direction that increases outdoor active play for children for their recovery from the current pandemic, and for their long-term health and well-being. The <a href="https://www.outdoorplaycanada.ca/outdoor-play-in-canada-2021-state-of-the-sector-report/"><em>Outdoor Play in Canada: 2021 State of the Sector Report</em></a> can help to guide these efforts.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427889/original/file-20211021-14-xozwum.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Girl standing in a pile of leaves holding a toy rake" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427889/original/file-20211021-14-xozwum.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427889/original/file-20211021-14-xozwum.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427889/original/file-20211021-14-xozwum.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427889/original/file-20211021-14-xozwum.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427889/original/file-20211021-14-xozwum.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427889/original/file-20211021-14-xozwum.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427889/original/file-20211021-14-xozwum.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A silver lining of the pandemic was people’s rediscovery of the outdoors.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Unsplash/Joseph Gonzalez)</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>The <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120606475">Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play</a> was released in 2015 to encourage Canadian families, schools and services to increase children’s time spent outdoors and in active play for their health and development. The statement was developed through a process of extensive engagement with researchers, practitioners and policymakers as well as two systematic reviews. It was pivotal in generating momentum for investment and policy reform to support children’s engagement in outdoor active play.</p>
<p>Six years later, the <em>2021 State of the Sector Report</em> captures developments in the field of outdoor play since the release of the position statement and provides direction on future priorities for the field. <a href="https://www.outdoorplaycanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/OPC_SSR_summary.pdf">These include</a>: </p>
<ul>
<li>Promoting the health, well-being and developmental benefits of outdoor play.</li>
<li>Promoting, protecting, preserving and investing in outdoor play environments.</li>
<li>Advocating for equity, diversity and inclusion in outdoor play. </li>
<li>Ensuring that outdoor play initiatives are land-based and represent the diverse cultures, languages and perspectives of Indigenous Peoples of North America.</li>
<li>Researching and supporting data collection on outdoor play.</li>
<li>Reframing views on safety and outdoor play.</li>
<li>Increasing and improving professional development opportunities in outdoor play.</li>
<li>Expanding and enabling cross-sectoral connections and collaborations.</li>
<li>Leveraging engagement opportunities with the outdoors during and after COVID-19.</li>
</ul>
<h2>A renaissance of outdoor living</h2>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427882/original/file-20211021-27-d22z76.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="People walk and skate on a thawing lake in a park on a mild winter day in Montréal" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427882/original/file-20211021-27-d22z76.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427882/original/file-20211021-27-d22z76.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427882/original/file-20211021-27-d22z76.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427882/original/file-20211021-27-d22z76.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427882/original/file-20211021-27-d22z76.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427882/original/file-20211021-27-d22z76.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427882/original/file-20211021-27-d22z76.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">During the pandemic, people rediscovered the joy of walking and got re-acquainted with winter.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Although physical distancing restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic initially led to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-020-00987-8">reductions in children’s outdoor physical activity</a>, over the past year and a half, the pandemic has ushered in a renaissance of outdoor living. Last year, many people rediscovered the joys of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/dec/18/how-2020-became-the-year-of-the-walker">walking</a> and <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/bicycle-boom-industry-turmoil-covid-19-1.5956400">cycling</a> and got reacquainted with winter. Perfect snow conditions set the stage for community members to cover <a href="https://ctvottawa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=212f27210d1d474c8358ee36b2d08350">Ottawa with snow sculptures</a>, and in the Prairies, children conquered <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/dirty-snow-piles-huck-1.5868627">parking lot snow-piles</a>. </p>
<p>Schools found adaptive ways to <a href="https://www.outdoorplaycanada.ca/2021/07/15/beyond-the-classroom-in-a-covid-year/">move learning outdoors</a> and campsite reservations <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-booking-a-camping-spot-in-ontario-has-become-an-impossible-task-due-to/">increased dramatically across Ontario</a>, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-parks-campground-reservations-opening-day-1.5975797">Manitoba</a>, <a href="https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/booking-a-camping-spot-takes-hours-on-parks-canada-site-amid-soaring-demand">Alberta</a> and <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/summer-camping-reservations-bc-website-crash-1.5940879">British Columbia</a>. Experts highlighted the potential for a resurgence of <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/covid-19-cheo-child-psychiatrist-welcomes-free-range-summer-with-caveats-1.5588752">free-range childhood experiences</a> and work-from-home conditions set the stage for children to engage in <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094481">increased independent mobility and unstructured play</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427885/original/file-20211021-23-1gosehr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Girl in a face mask on a swing in the foreground with a boy on a swing in the background" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427885/original/file-20211021-23-1gosehr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427885/original/file-20211021-23-1gosehr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427885/original/file-20211021-23-1gosehr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427885/original/file-20211021-23-1gosehr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427885/original/file-20211021-23-1gosehr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427885/original/file-20211021-23-1gosehr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427885/original/file-20211021-23-1gosehr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Outdoor play supports the health and development of children.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Research from Canada and around the world has reported that <a href="https://www.sonnet.ca/blog/lifestyle/health/how-canadians-are-coping-covid-19">people value</a> and have spent <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0244873">more time outdoors</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2021.672909">more time in green spaces</a> during the pandemic. In Norway, research found that these changes in behaviour were measurable up to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2021.104175">six months later</a>. </p>
<p>The pandemic has also heightened awareness of the need for important family supports as we saw a significant increase in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2020.1776561">care burden on women</a>. Correspondingly, we are seeing policy reforms that can enhance support for families and child development, including increased <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/shopify-pandemic-staff-ottawa-1.5578614">flexibility in workplace policies</a>, enhanced <a href="https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2021/04/21/10-day-child-care-canadian-families">investments in daycare</a> (and the ability to <a href="https://www.outdoorplaycanada.ca/2020/11/20/child-care-and-early-years-act-forest-and-outdoor-programs-submission-2020/">license forest and outdoor daycare</a> programs), and provincial programs for <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-paid-sick-leave-covid-19-april-28-2021-1.6005192">paid sick leave</a>. In Scandinavia, <a href="http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20171211-friluftsliv-the-nordic-concept-of-getting-outdoors">flexible workplace hours and incentives to spend time outdoors</a> are already common practice and designed to enhance <em>friluftsliv</em>, or open-air living. </p>
<p>These new and ongoing supports can promote well-being for families and increase opportunities for quality time spent outdoors. In the <em>State of the Sector Report</em>, we highlight the importance of making outdoor play a core health promotion recovery strategy. This can be achieved by appropriating streets for active travel as well as for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2020.1795386">social connection and play</a>. </p>
<p>During the pandemic, we saw municipalities apply street closures to create <a href="https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/ncc-expanding-parkway-closures-for-cyclists-runners-and-walkers-this-summer-1.5408762">space for active leisure</a> as well as <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/gatineau-street-hockey-expansion-1.6170549">for sport</a>; these efforts should be continued. Creating outdoor opportunities for communities to gather not only increases the potential for outdoor activity, it can also <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomp.2021.634145">strengthen community connections</a> and make <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-021-01097-9">neighbourhoods safer</a>. As we state in our report, we need to identify champions, including at the community level, to help these outdoor play initiatives live on. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427877/original/file-20211021-17-tfq9jx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Cyclists on Lakeshore Blvd. with the downtown skyline in the background and a physical distancing sign in the foreground." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427877/original/file-20211021-17-tfq9jx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427877/original/file-20211021-17-tfq9jx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427877/original/file-20211021-17-tfq9jx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427877/original/file-20211021-17-tfq9jx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427877/original/file-20211021-17-tfq9jx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427877/original/file-20211021-17-tfq9jx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427877/original/file-20211021-17-tfq9jx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Cyclists take advantage of the ActiveTO closure of Lake Shore Blvd., in Toronto in June 2020. Toronto closed large sections of major roads to give people space to exercise while physically distancing.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Promoting outdoor play is not only important for the health and well-being of children; it is necessary for the long-term health of the environment. Spending time in nature at an early age is important for the development of the next generation of environmental stewards that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00958964.2020.1787313">respect and protect the natural world</a>. </p>
<p>Maintaining some of these adaptations and policy reforms will have a significant impact on the environment. We need to advance the momentum for outdoor play to support the health and development of children and to ensure that they and generations to come have a healthy world to grow up in. Global lockdowns resulted in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18922-7">largest decrease in global carbon dioxide emissions since 1900</a>. </p>
<p>It took a pandemic for us to reign in our consumption behaviour. We now recognize that we have the potential for change. We must carry this forward <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m3169">into the future</a> — for our children and for us all.</p>
<p><em>This article was co-authored by Louise de Lannoy, research manager at Outdoor Play Canada.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/169605/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tanya Halsall receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Canadian Institutes
of Health Research. Tanya Halsall is a member of Outdoor Play Canada.</span></em></p>The pandemic ushered in a renaissance of outdoor living. We need to advance the momentum for outdoor play to support the health and development of childrenTanya Halsall, Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Mental Health Research at The Royal, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1601732021-05-03T06:44:40Z2021-05-03T06:44:40ZHow the Coalition’s child-care subsidy plan works and what it means<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/398280/original/file-20210503-23-cxdjnt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3540%2C1778&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">MariaNikiforova/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The federal government is pitching its 2021 budget as “<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/morrison-government-to-splash-billions-to-fix-women-problem-in-budget-20210423-p57lu9.html">women-friendly</a>”. Yesterday it announced a key feature of that – more money to make child care cheaper and boost women’s workforce participation. </p>
<p>The Coalition’s policy will increase spending on the child-care subsidy from July 2022 by an extra A$1.7 billion over three years. That is about a 6% increase on the <a href="https://budget.gov.au/2020-21/content/bp1/download/bp1_w.pdf">current investment</a> of $9 billion a year.</p>
<h2>Key changes</h2>
<p>The policy has two main components.</p>
<p>First, it drops the “annual cap” that limits the total yearly subsidy to $10,560 per child for families with combined income of more than $189,390. After that – generally if they have their children in care for four or more days a week – they pay the full cost of care. These costs are often a big disincentive for women with high-earning partners to work more than three days a week.</p>
<p>Second, it boosts the subsidy for second and subsequent children in care by up to 30 percentage points (capped at 95%). This means families currently eligible for a 50% subsidy would now be eligible for an 80% subsidy on their second child if both children are aged under six. Older children using after school care are not eligible for any extra subsidy. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/an-extra-1-7-billion-for-child-care-will-help-some-it-wont-improve-affordability-for-most-160163">An extra $1.7 billion for child care will help some. It won't improve affordability for most</a>
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<p>This will reduce fees for families paying some of the highest out-of-pocket childcare care costs – those with multiple children in long day care. </p>
<p>So how does it work? </p>
<p>Consider a middle-income family where one parent earns $85,000 and the other parent earns $65,000, with two young children in day care paying the average cost of $110 a day per child. Under the current scheme they are eligible for a 60% subsidy for both children. So they pay $88 a day and the government pays $132. </p>
<p>Under the new policy, the subsidy will rise to 90% for the second child (with the first child still on a 60% subsidy). This means the parents will pay $55 a day for both children, and get a $165 subsidy. If they have the children in care for four days a week, they will be $132 a week better off. </p>
<h2>Effect on workforce participation and family budgets</h2>
<p>Currently, for families with two children in long day care, the primary care giver (typically the mother) can lose <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/cheaper-childcare/">more than 80%</a> – in some cases 100% – of take-home pay in the move to take a fourth or fifth day’s work. Child-care costs on those extra days are the <a href="https://theconversation.com/permanently-raising-the-child-care-subsidy-is-an-economic-opportunity-too-good-to-miss-136856">main contributor</a>. </p>
<p>The new policy reduces the disincentives for those families. </p>
<p>The first graph shows a family where the father earns $60,000 and the mother would earn the same if she worked full time. The current system means she loses 90% of what she earns on her fourth day and more than 100% on the fifth day.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/398311/original/file-20210503-19-1qds99n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/398311/original/file-20210503-19-1qds99n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=362&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/398311/original/file-20210503-19-1qds99n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=362&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/398311/original/file-20210503-19-1qds99n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=362&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/398311/original/file-20210503-19-1qds99n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=454&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/398311/original/file-20210503-19-1qds99n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=454&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/398311/original/file-20210503-19-1qds99n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=454&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Primary earner works full time, 2 children requiring care. Each day of work for second earner results in 2 days of approved care, costing $110 each.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>The new policy will lower these “workforce disincentive rates”. </p>
<p>The mother will now lose 75% on the fourth day and 90% on the fifth day. </p>
<p>As the next graph shows, the family will be $5,000 a year better off if the second earner works four days, and $7,500 a year better off if she works full-time.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/399573/original/file-20210509-25-1q3zzj9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/399573/original/file-20210509-25-1q3zzj9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/399573/original/file-20210509-25-1q3zzj9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=365&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399573/original/file-20210509-25-1q3zzj9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=365&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399573/original/file-20210509-25-1q3zzj9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=365&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399573/original/file-20210509-25-1q3zzj9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399573/original/file-20210509-25-1q3zzj9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399573/original/file-20210509-25-1q3zzj9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Primary earner works full time, 2 children requiring care. Each day of work for second earner results in 2 days of approved care, costing $110 each.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>For a family where both parents have the potential to earn $100,000 working five days a week, the new policy will almost halve the current workforce disincentive rate for working a fifth day – from 100% to 55%. </p>
<p>This is because such a family will benefit from both the extra subsidy for the second child and the removal of the annual cap.</p>
<p>Workforce disincentives remain high even with the new policy. But it is a significant improvement on the status quo. </p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/398337/original/file-20210503-13-dciin9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/398337/original/file-20210503-13-dciin9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/398337/original/file-20210503-13-dciin9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=370&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/398337/original/file-20210503-13-dciin9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=370&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/398337/original/file-20210503-13-dciin9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=370&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/398337/original/file-20210503-13-dciin9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/398337/original/file-20210503-13-dciin9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/398337/original/file-20210503-13-dciin9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption"></span>
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<hr>
<p>The flip side of a highly targeted policy is that it benefits only a small segment of families. On the federal government’s <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/josh-frydenberg-2018/media-releases/making-child-care-more-affordable-and-boosting">numbers</a>, up to 270,000 families may benefit. </p>
<p>This compares with almost 1 million families now accessing some subsidised child care and many more who would like to access it if they could afford it. </p>
<p>Labor announced its child-care policy in the budget reply last year.</p>
<h2>How the Coalition’s policy compare to Labor’s</h2>
<p>Like the Coalition’s, Labor’s policy removes the annual cap. But it also increases the base subsidy (for all children) to 90%. It also reduces the rate at which the subsidy reduces as family income increases. </p>
<p>This is one of the big contributors to growing out-of-pocket costs as mothers work more and use more child care. </p>
<p>So Labor’s policy is broader, with all families who use child care standing to gain, regardless of the number of children, their age and the family income. </p>
<p>It would cost about <a href="https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/labor-vows-26b-for-cheaper-childcare-green-grid-20201008-p5633p">$2 billion per year</a> – roughly three times more than the Coalition’s. But it would also have bigger benefits, sharpening workforce incentives for a much wider group of families. </p>
<p>The boost to GDP from higher workforce participation is likely to also be about three times bigger.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/permanently-raising-the-child-care-subsidy-is-an-economic-opportunity-too-good-to-miss-136856">Permanently raising the Child Care Subsidy is an economic opportunity too good to miss</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In terms of the impact on family budgets, the big difference between the policies is the number of children aged under six in care.</p>
<p>Families with only one child under six in care (or only older children in after-school care) would be unambiguously better off under the Labor policy. </p>
<p>For families with two children under six in care, there is little difference at most family income levels. For families with three children under six in care (probably less than 20,000 families at any given time), almost all would be better off under the Coalition policy.</p>
<h2>A step forward, but not a game changer</h2>
<p>Overall, the Coalition’s policy is a helpful and well-targeted package that tackles some of the worst out-of-pocket costs and workforce disincentives. It will mean a real improvement for up to 270,000 families. </p>
<p>What’s missing is support for all the other families using child care. Almost 1 million families now use child care, and many would like to work more if they could afford to do so. </p>
<p>A broader policy supporting more families would have much larger and more widespread economic benefits. Of course, it would cost more too, but our research shows such an investment can be expected to deliver a boost to GDP of at least <a href="https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/cheaper-childcare-pays-for-itself-20201011-p563xj">twice the cost</a>.</p>
<p>This is a step in the right direction, but much more needs to be done to create a system that truly supports women’s workforce participation and long-term economic security.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/160173/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The Grattan Institute began with contributions to its endowment of $15 million from each of the Federal and Victorian Governments, $4 million from BHP Billiton, and $1 million from NAB. In order to safeguard its independence, Grattan Institute’s board controls this endowment. The funds are invested and contribute to funding Grattan Institute's activities. Grattan Institute also receives funding from corporates, foundations, and individuals to support its general activities as disclosed on its website.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Danielle Wood and Kate Griffiths do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Coalition’s increase in child-care subsidies is a step in the right direction, though much more needs to be done.Danielle Wood, Chief executive officer, Grattan InstituteKate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Grattan InstituteOwain Emslie, Senior Associate, Grattan InstituteLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1255502019-10-23T21:07:56Z2019-10-23T21:07:56ZInvestment in child care yields countless social and economic returns<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298342/original/file-20191023-119463-9s4uqd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=2%2C7%2C950%2C471&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A child and family’s access to high-quality child care is an issue that impacts all of society.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Children are born with a desire to learn about the world around them. Infants learn and develop by exploring their environments with their senses. In the first few years of life, a baby’s brain makes <a href="https://www.ffyf.org/new-research-shows-significantly-neural-connections-formed-early-years-previously-thought/#targetText=The%20Center's%20Dr.%20Jack%20Shonkoff,1%20million%20connections%20per%20second.">one million neural connections</a> per second. </p>
<p>Positive relationships are what build these neural connections and set children up for success beyond childhood. The <a href="https://brucecounty.on.ca/sites/default/files/Connexions%20-%20Spring%20Summer%202017.pdf">relationships between early childhood educators and children</a> in high-quality early learning and care programs help establish these neural connections — and are <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-me-care/">important for the future of humanity</a>.</p>
<p>A child and family’s access to high-quality child care is not just an issue for families: It is an issue for all of society.</p>
<h2>Ripple effects</h2>
<p>Let’s consider what happens when you throw a stone into a body of water. The stone creates ripples that spread across the water.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/ExcerptsFromELECT.pdf">Responsive and stimulating high-quality early learning programs</a> influence children’s development and long term well-being. Quality early learning and care programs should be designed to foster critical elements of a child’s development, including: self-regulation, empathy, the ability to gain and take new perspectives, creativity, critical thinking, acquiring knowledge and developing skills. </p>
<p>These elements influence a child’s school readiness. School readiness before and throughout kindergarten matters because it helps to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(02)00655-4">prevent adverse outcomes associated with early academic failure and school behavioural problems</a>: these include dropping out of school, unemployment, psychological and physical illness in young adulthood, and involvement with criminal justice systems.</p>
<h2>Family learning</h2>
<p>Positive partnerships <a href="http://www.parentsmatter.ca/index.cfm;jsessionid=7027D0E18BDC984C2F1A65CC52CA59C6.cfusion?fuseaction=document.viewDocument&documentid=995&documentFormatId=1734&vDocLinkOrigin=1&CFID=41129354&CFTOKEN=53cef2d4afbd321f-00FB142B-1C23-C8EB-80C0C092ACEDDB6C">between families</a> and early childhood professionals impacts the family’s understanding of their child, through understanding the child’s development, behaviour and learning styles. </p>
<p>The parents can observe professionals who model successful techniques for teaching and guiding behaviour, which can impact the way they parent. </p>
<p>More importantly, when families have meaningful relationships with the child’s early childhood educators, these professionals help families see themselves as a vital part of their child’s life and learning. That understanding lasts a lifetime.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297905/original/file-20191021-56207-18v5l5c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297905/original/file-20191021-56207-18v5l5c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297905/original/file-20191021-56207-18v5l5c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297905/original/file-20191021-56207-18v5l5c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297905/original/file-20191021-56207-18v5l5c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297905/original/file-20191021-56207-18v5l5c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297905/original/file-20191021-56207-18v5l5c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Early childhood educators help families see themselves as a vital part of their child’s life.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Edward Eyer/Pexels</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Economic investment</h2>
<p>High-quality early learning and care programs also impact personal finances and the economy. These can increase parental earnings and employment, by providing the opportunity for <a href="https://www.childcareontario.org/wage_gap_fact_sheet">both parents to work, thus reducing the wage gap</a>. </p>
<p>This leads to <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED479989">greater educational attainment and earnings for children</a> in adulthood. These programs also benefit taxpayers and strengthen the economy. </p>
<p>The benefits of quality early learning and care as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2016.1273285">prevention and intervention</a> programs
boost the child’s capacity to manage future adversity. Such interventions are less costly than when people are older and behavioural patterns are ingrained and change is more difficult.</p>
<p>Economists estimate that for every dollar spent on early childhood education, there is <a href="https://www.td.com/document/PDF/economics/special/di1112_EarlyChildhoodEducation.pdf">up to a seven-dollar return on investment for at-risk children.</a></p>
<h2>National child-care strategy</h2>
<p>There is an established and growing body of evidence demonstrating that early engagement with children and their families delivers strong outcomes for whole communities. In response, federal, provincial and territorial ministers have <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/early-learning-child-care/reports/2017-multilateral-framework.html">agreed on principles for early learning and child care across the country</a>: it should be high-quality, affordable accessible, flexible and inclusive. </p>
<p>But governments haven’t forged a national child-care policy. That means there are no agreements and related financial commitments that would translate this vision into a cross-Canada reality.</p>
<p>Many provinces have taken taken steps to increase the quality of early learning and care programs. But these initiatives are compromised by inadequate funding to develop and support the childcare workforce. </p>
<p>High-quality early learning and care programs, and the experiences offered to the children are defined by the value, respect, confidence and experience of early childhood educators. </p>
<h2>Ontario realities</h2>
<p>In Ontario, early childhood educators are required to <a href="https://www.college-ece.ca/en">register with a professional body</a>. Ontario’s registered early childhood educators (RECEs) are responsible for developing and facilitating inclusive play-based learning programs to promote <a href="https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/07e07">holistic development of children</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.aeceo.ca/professional_pay_decent_work_for_all">In Ontario</a>,
16 per cent of RECEs working in licensed child-care programs earn between $11.40 and $15 per hour, and 45 per cent earn between $15 and $20 hourly. Hourly wages in full-day kindergarten programs are higher, but educators are laid off in the summer and face <a href="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/aeceo/pages/930/attachments/original/1477442125/MoreThanJustanECE_Sept16.pdf?1477442125">challenging working conditions</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-team-approach-makes-full-day-kindergarten-a-success-113339">A team approach makes full-day kindergarten a success</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The expectations and responsibilities of RECEs have increased through legislative and regulatory changes, but there have been few improvements to wages and working conditions. A lack of <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/earlylearning/files/ece-low-compensation-undermines-quality-report-2016.pdf">adequate compensation for RECEs undermines the quality</a> of education and care children receive.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298332/original/file-20191023-119423-yjhdvk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298332/original/file-20191023-119423-yjhdvk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298332/original/file-20191023-119423-yjhdvk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298332/original/file-20191023-119423-yjhdvk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298332/original/file-20191023-119423-yjhdvk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298332/original/file-20191023-119423-yjhdvk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298332/original/file-20191023-119423-yjhdvk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Society needs to value both the women and men who enrich children’s learning and development.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Undervalued</h2>
<p>Early childhood educators are overworked and undervalued. The profession is primarily <a href="https://www.childcareontario.org/around_1_percent_of_early_childhood_educators_are_men">represented by women</a> and issues of equity and equality are often discussed.</p>
<p>Female early childhood educators <a href="http://www.ccsc-cssge.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/Projects-Pubs-Docs/1.1portraitbrochure_e.pdf">represent 98.2 per cent</a> of the industry’s staff and directors across Canada. They are among the professions with the <a href="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/aeceo/pages/2462/attachments/original/1542404578/AECEO_Submission_to_Standing_Committee_Bill_47.pdf?1542404578#targetText=The%20valuable%20and%20socially%20important,to%20impact%20early%20years%20programs.">lowest wages and poorest working conditions</a>. Additionally, child-care staff earn only <a href="https://www.childcarecanada.org/sites/default/files/StateofECEC2012.pdf">69 per cent of the average wage</a> for all occupations, despite being part of a regulated profession.</p>
<p>These conditions lead to a high employee turnover rate which impacts the quality of children’s experiences. Children require strong and reliable relationships. When they are able to trust in their caregivers, they are able to feel confident in their environment and themselves, thus allowing them to explore and grow. </p>
<p>Children require experiences with both men and women to understand who they are and how to develop relationships in life. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1525/si.2000.23.2.135">Men and women bring different and diverse perspectives</a> and experiences. Where there are still gender norms expecting men to be primary bread winners, or enter occupations of prestige, many men perceive that they cannot afford to work as early childhood educators. Men are often regarded suspiciously for transgressing such gender norms. </p>
<p>Society needs to value the women and men who so enrich children’s learning and development in quality early childhood programs. So let’s <a href="https://www.childcareontario.org/ccwad_2019">celebrate and appreciate the dedicated work</a> of their profession! </p>
<p>[ <em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/ca/newsletters?utm_source=TCCA&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>. ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125550/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>High-quality early child care and education affects children’s overall health and well-being, and is key for all the qualities children need to contribute to society and the economy.Elena Merenda, Assistant Program Head of Early Childhood Studies, University of Guelph-HumberNikki Martyn, Program Head of Early Childhood Studies, University of Guelph-HumberLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1126012019-03-01T11:40:28Z2019-03-01T11:40:28ZWhy Congress needs to make child care more affordable – 5 questions answered<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/261171/original/file-20190227-150688-12i77ea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A new bill to provide affordable child care for working families faces an uphill battle in Congress.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/little-kids-playing-toys-learning-center-1240406644?src=eIbnLXsA5dp8_CMormsK5w-1-2">Rawpixel from www.shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Editor’s note: Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., recently reintroduced their Child Care for Working Families Act – a bill they say will “ensure affordable, high-quality child care for working middle class families and those living paycheck to paycheck.”</em> </p>
<p><em><a href="https://www.american.edu/spa/faculty/morrisse.cfm">Taryn Morrissey</a>, author of “<a href="http://www.russellsage.org/publications/cradle-kindergarten">Cradle to Kindergarten: A New Plan to Combat Inequality</a>,” and a former senior adviser on early childhood policy during the Obama administration, explains how far the bill would go in achieving that goal – and also whether it has a chance of passing.</em> </p>
<h2>1. How big of a deal is this bill and why?</h2>
<p>It’s a big deal because in 2016, <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_tca.asp">about 60 percent</a> of kids under age 6 were in some type of nonparental child care if they weren’t in kindergarten.</p>
<p>The Child Care for Working Families Act would enhance our existing <a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ/fact-sheet-occ">public child care subsidy program</a> by nearly <a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/CCFWFA%20Fact%20Sheet%20116th%20Congress%20FINAL.pdf">doubling</a> the number of children eligible. In 2012, <a href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/system/files/pdf/153591/ChildEligibility.pdf">14.2 million</a> children were eligible for child care subsidies under federal rules.</p>
<p>It’s important to point out that child care is more than a place for children to spend time while their parents work. Child care should also provide opportunities for children to learn. If teachers are well-trained and adequately paid, and provide enriching experiences and activities, early education can have <a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/app.1.3.111">lasting</a>, <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/events/pre-k-consensus/">positive impacts</a> on children’s <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cdev.12099">educational</a>, <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/343/6178/1478">health</a> and <a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.97.2.31">economic outcomes</a>. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, much of the care families use today is of <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/2006043.pdf">low or mediocre quality</a>. High-quality care is <a href="https://www.russellsage.org/publications/cradle-kindergarten">more expensive than most parents can afford</a>. Child care expenditures make up about <a href="https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p70-135.pdf">11 percent</a> of families’ annual income, but that reflects families’ use of a mix of licensed centers or child care homes and informal arrangements with friends or relatives.</p>
<p>If a family wants to use center-based care for an infant, that costs much more – a whopping <a href="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/3957809/costofcare2018.pdf?__hstc=&__hssc=&hsCtaTracking=b4367fa6-f3b9-4e6c-acf4-b5d01d0dc570%7C94d3f065-e4fc-4250-a163-bafc3defaf20">27 percent of median income for single-parent households</a>. And in most regions of the U.S., families with young children are <a href="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/3957809/costofcare2018.pdf?__hstc=&__hssc=&hsCtaTracking=b4367fa6-f3b9-4e6c-acf4-b5d01d0dc570%7C94d3f065-e4fc-4250-a163-bafc3defaf20">spending more on child care</a> than they are on housing, food or health care.</p>
<h2>2. Will working families and the poor be able to feel or see the difference? If so, how?</h2>
<p>Yes, parents with young children – and who are typically earning <a href="https://www.demos.org/publication/parent-trap-economic-insecurity-families-young-children">less now</a> than they will when they are further along in their careers – would have more money for housing, health care and the many other expenses that come with raising children. Further, if they choose, parents who left the workforce due to the high costs of child care will be able to return to work without having to spend a <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/early-childhood/reports/2016/06/21/139731/calculating-the-hidden-cost-of-interrupting-a-career-for-child-care/">sizable portion</a> of their paychecks on child care.</p>
<p>Families with infants and toddlers will likely find it easier to find and pay for child care. High-quality infant-toddler care is currently <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/early-childhood/reports/2018/11/15/460970/understanding-true-cost-child-care-infants-toddlers/">very expensive and hard to find</a>, even though it’s <a href="https://www.nap.edu/catalog/9824/from-neurons-to-neighborhoods-the-science-of-early-childhood-development">important for children’s development</a>. The bill will also provide funds for states to expand their preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-old children.</p>
<h2>3. Making child care affordable is one thing. Providing quality child care is another. Can this bill really do both?</h2>
<p>Yes, and one of the ways it will do that is by increasing workforce training and pay.</p>
<p>In 2013, child care teachers <a href="http://cscce.berkeley.edu/files/2014/ReportFINAL.pdf">earned US$10.33</a> per hour, compared to $15.11 and $25.40 per hour for preschool teachers and kindergarten teachers, respectively. Consequently, 40 percent of child care workers <a href="http://cscce.berkeley.edu/files/2014/ReportFINAL.pdf">rely on public assistance</a> at some point in their careers.</p>
<p>It should come as little surprise that <a href="http://cscce.berkeley.edu/files/2014/ReportFINAL.pdf">turnover rates</a> among preschool and child care teachers are high. This turnover is associated with <a href="https://appam.confex.com/appam/2018/webprogram/Paper27153.html">poorer child outcomes</a>.</p>
<p>More skilled and consistent caregivers will translate to higher-quality early learning experiences.</p>
<h2>4. Where will this bill place America among other advanced nations in terms of providing affordable child care?</h2>
<p>If passed, America’s spending on early childhood education would be closer to those of our peer nations. For instance, in 2013, the United States spent less than <a href="https://www.oecd.org/els/soc/PF3_1_Public_spending_on_childcare_and_early_education.pdf">0.5 percent</a> of GDP on early childhood education, while France, New Zealand and the Nordic countries spent more than <a href="https://www.oecd.org/els/soc/PF3_1_Public_spending_on_childcare_and_early_education.pdf">1 percent of GDP</a>. The average for nations in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, is 0.8 percent.</p>
<p>Research has shown that high-quality early learning experiences <a href="https://www.russellsage.org/publications/cradle-kindergarten">promote children’s school readiness</a>. Children who don’t have these experiences fall behind early and have a more difficult time <a href="https://www.russellsage.org/publications/whither-opportunity">catching up</a>. Expanding access to early educational experiences would promote America’s <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/want-to-make-america-great-again-make-our-kids-globally-competitive_us_58f9fb95e4b018a9ce5a5d75">global competitiveness</a> by ensuring that young children are best prepared for school their first day of kindergarten. </p>
<h2>5. How much will this bill cost and how likely is this bill to become law?</h2>
<p>No public cost analyses have been done. The bill itself appropriates $20 billion in fiscal 2020, $30 billion in fiscal 2021, and $40 billion in fiscal 2022, and whatever is needed after that for child care subsidy expansions.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, this bill is unlikely to become law – at least anytime in the next two years. Although the Trump administration has supported <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-23/ivanka-trump-is-pushing-her-500-billion-child-care-plan-on-hill">child care</a> and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/13/politics/ivanka-trump-paid-family-leave/index.html">paid family leave</a> policies, independent <a href="http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/sites/default/files/publication/138781/2001170-who-benefits-from-president-trumps-child-care-proposals.pdf">analyses</a> indicate their proposals would do little to help low- and middle-income families. The child care subsidy program received a substantial <a href="https://www.ffyf.org/congress-passes-historic-funding-increases-federal-early-learning-care-programs/">boost in funding</a> following the bipartisan budget deal in February 2018, but Congress has not acted on other early childhood policy proposals.</p>
<p>In the absence of federal action, cities and states like the <a href="http://lims.dccouncil.us/Legislation/B22-0203">District of Columbia</a>, <a href="https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2019/01/06/newsom-propose-nearly-2-billion-early-childhood-programs/2470300002/">California</a> and <a href="https://www.ktvz.com/news/governor-state-agencies-unveil-early-learning-plan/1002533536">Oregon</a> are passing or considering sweeping improvements to their early childhood systems. </p>
<p>These state and local efforts, the Child Care for Working Families Act and other proposals, such as <a href="https://medium.com/@teamwarren/my-plan-for-universal-child-care-762535e6c20a">Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s child care plan</a>, would help <a href="https://www.russellsage.org/publications/cradle-kindergarten'">reduce inequality</a> in the short term by putting more money in the hands of families struggling to make ends meet. In the long term, these efforts will help better prepare America’s children for the workforce of tomorrow.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/112601/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Taryn Morrissey has received funding from the Robert Wood Johnson, Ford, Peterson, Gates, Heising-Simons, and the Bainum Family Foundations and the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture. She is a non-resident fellow at the Urban Institute. </span></em></p>Working class families have struggled for years to afford quality child care. Could the newly proposed Child Care for Working Families Act make a difference? A child care policy scholar weighs in.Taryn Morrissey, Associate Professor of Public Administration and Policy, American University School of Public AffairsLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/991452018-07-02T05:19:21Z2018-07-02T05:19:21ZNew childcare policy still leaves vulnerable families behind<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/225624/original/file-20180702-116114-wikjyg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">For-profit services make up the greatest proportion of services not meeting national quality standards.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>This week sees the introduction of the federal government’s new <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/documents/overview-jobs-families-child-care-package">Child Care package</a>. In a media release, Education Minister Simon Birmingham <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/birmingham/more-child-care-support-families-need-it-most">said</a> this subsidy system would provide more child care support for the families who needed it most, including families living in vulnerable circumstances. </p>
<p>But while child care policies over the past decade have <a href="http://snapshots.acecqa.gov.au/Snapshot/LIVE/build_C.html;%20https://www.education.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1159357/Lifting-Our-Game-Final-Report.pdf">improved child care accessibility and quality</a>, families in vulnerable circumstances are still left behind. And allowing for-profit services to be the majority seems to be part of the problem.</p>
<h2>Access has improved, but SES is still a big factor</h2>
<p>The package follows <a href="http://www.federalfinancialrelations.gov.au/content/npa/education/other/past/early_childhood_education_NP_2009.pdf;%20http://files.acecqa.gov.au/files/NQF/Guide-to-the-NQF.pdf">other policies</a> introduced by governments over the past decade that have sought to improve outcomes for children from disadvantaged backgrounds by facilitating greater access to quality child care. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/policycheck-the-governments-new-child-care-plan-75046">PolicyCheck: the government's new child care plan</a>
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<p>What hasn’t changed in childcare is big business. Since the 1990s, both major parties have supported a shift away from not-for-profit to for-profit services. </p>
<p>Today, almost two-thirds of the 7,409 long day care centres registered with Australia’s quality authority are for-profit. Unlike private schools, for-profit providers do not have to reinvest profits back into the service to be eligible for government funding.</p>
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<p>Within this market system, parents are considered to be consumers with choice. So, for example, the <a href="https://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/about">National Quality Framework</a> policy is intended to help parents make informed choices based on publicly available quality ratings. And now, through the Child Care Package, parents are said to have <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/birmingham/more-child-care-support-families-need-it-most">more choice</a> to participate in the workforce while their children are in childcare.</p>
<p>Children from the highest level of socioeconomic disadvantage attend preschool programs in the year before school at rates <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/ongoing/report-on-government-services/2018/child-care-education-and-training/early-childhood-education-and-care/rogs-2018-partb-chapter3.pdf">lower than their representation in the population</a>. Children aged four to five years living in areas of highest disadvantage are the most likely group to be enrolled in a preschool program for <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/4240.02017?OpenDocument">less than ten hours per week</a>. </p>
<p>Many Indigenous children do not attend a preschool program <a href="https://www.education.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1159357/Lifting-Our-Game-Final-Report.pdf.">for even 15 hours per week</a>. This inequitable access can be partly explained by there being <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10409289.2015.1076674?src=recsys&journalCode=heed20">fewer child care services</a> in low socioeconomic areas than in high socioeconomic areas. </p>
<h2>Centres in most disadvantaged areas don’t measure up</h2>
<p>There are also inequalities in the services that do and don’t meet national quality standards. For-profit services comprise the greatest proportion of long day care services not meeting national quality standards, and the smallest proportion of these services rated as exceeding them.</p>
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<p>In low socioeconomic areas, childcare services <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10409289.2015.1076674?src=recsys&journalCode=heed20">are of lower than average quality</a> than those in more advantaged neighbourhoods. More recent data show long daycare centres operating in areas of greatest disadvantage are less likely to be meeting national quality standards than centres operating in areas of highest advantage. And, long day care centres in areas of highest advantage are more likely to be operating above national quality standards than centres in areas of greatest disadvantage. </p>
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<p>The for-profit sector also has a history of <a href="https://www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/media/SPRCFile/Report5_04_Review_of_EarlyChildhoodTeachers_Policy.pdf">not meeting quality standards</a> and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sue_Nichols3/publication/279320768_Mothers_and_fathers_resourcing_early_learning_and_development/links/564d266008aefe619b0dd05e/Mothers-and-fathers-resourcing-early-learning-and-development.pdf;%20https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/childcare/report/childcare-volume2.pdf">arguing against regulation standards</a> that would improve quality.</p>
<h2>And what about affordability?</h2>
<p>The introduction of the new Child Care Package is another example of childcare policy that, within a market system, will not just be limited in its benefits for disadvantaged families, but is <a href="http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/our-publications/australasian-journal-early-childhood/index-abstracts/ajec-vol-43-no-1-march-2018/analysis-australian-governments-jobs-families-child-care-package-utility-bacchis-wpr-methodology-identify-potential-influences-parents-childcare/">likely to see them worse off</a>. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/child-care-subsidy-activity-test-0">Activity Test</a> makes higher subsidies available to parents in regular work or other approved activity. While families on incomes of A$66,958 or less who don’t meet the Activity Test can access a subsidy, this is limited to 24 hours of subsidised care per fortnight. </p>
<p>This entitlement of only 12 hours a week is half of what families currently get. Children’s access to quality childcare is, more than ever, dependent on whether the government views their parents as deserving or not.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-are-we-doing-on-early-childhood-education-and-care-good-but-theres-more-to-do-89275">How are we doing on early childhood education and care? Good, but there's more to do</a>
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<p>Complex <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/child-care-safety-net-1">Safety Net</a> eligibility requirements are a potential barrier for already disadvantaged families’ access to quality childcare. Economic modelling also points to an anticipated <a href="http://www.snaicc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/SNAICC_Submission-Senate_Education_Employment_Committee-Sep._2016.pdf">decrease</a> in participation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, and the potential for services that specifically cater for these families to close. </p>
<p>The fact subsidy rates are a proportion of a set <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/child-care-subsidy-service-type-0">hourly fee cap</a> (so, A$11.77 for long day care) is also a problem. With fees not regulated, the pattern of <a href="https://theconversation.com/factcheck-what-are-the-facts-on-rising-child-care-prices-71014">fees increasing</a> (and increasing above the fee cap) seems likely to continue. </p>
<p>More than one in five children are behind in at least one developmental area when they start school. Not surprisingly, the figures are <a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?q=AEDC+children+starting+school+developmnt+vulnerabilities&rlz=1C1CAFA_enAU656AU658&oq=AEDC+children+starting+school+developmnt+vulnerabilities&aqs=chrome..69i57.12243j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8">worse</a> for children living in areas of disadvantage. </p>
<p>Policy needs to continue improving outcomes for these children. But this is unlikely to happen as long as governments leave accessible, quality and affordable childcare to the market.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/99145/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marianne Fenech receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p>Children’s access to quality childcare is, more than ever, dependent on whether the government views their parents as deserving or not.Marianne Fenech, Senior lecturer, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/914652018-03-01T00:03:37Z2018-03-01T00:03:37ZWill Ontario child-care dollars come with a commitment to quality and safety?<p>Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne’s <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2018/03/27/ontario-budget-to-fund-free-child-care-for-preschoolers-by-2020-as-part-of-22-billion-plan.html">pre-budget announcement of free licensed care for pre-schoolers aged 2.5 years and older</a> has the potential to be a game changer for child safety and quality preschool education in Ontario. Though the details have yet to be fully fleshed out, the announcement links the provision of free care to the licensing of care providers.</p>
<p>Is the provincial government finally ready to commit to requiring that all care providers (including home-based providers) meet baseline safety and quality standards for the child care environment?</p>
<p>The importance of this type of commitment cannot be overstated. </p>
<p>The maintenance of a policy framework that allows unlicensed forms of care will continue to place kids at risk.</p>
<p>Deaths in child care occur with <a href="https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/edcentral/unlicensedcare/">such alarming frequency</a> in the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/2014/08/30/in-virginia-thousands-of-day-care-providers-receive-no-oversight/?utm_term=.45a71aeffbd2;%20https://newrepublic.com/article/112892/hell-american-day-care">United States</a> and <a href="http://www.childcareontario.org/unlicensed_child_care_incidents">Canada</a> that they tend to resonate in the news for only a short period of time.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/000312240507000501">disproportionate number</a> of these deaths occur in unlicensed home child care, where a woman will care for a number of children in her home for a fee. Many countries, including the U.S., Canada and Ireland, allow for these businesses to operate legally but without any real government oversight.</p>
<p>Because of this lack of oversight, we have no idea how many children are cared for or by how many unlicensed providers. <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1939-0025.1986.tb01541.x/abstract">We know virtually nothing</a> about <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0300443880330105">what is going on in these homes</a>. </p>
<p>Our research at the University of Toronto aims to understand why governments continue to let these businesses — which care for one of our most vulnerable populations — operate without any real oversight. </p>
<p>In some parts of Canada, <a href="https://web.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/9072-Application_CommercialDogWalkerPermit.pdf">dog walkers</a> and <a href="https://www.interiorhealth.ca/YourEnvironment/FoodSafety/Documents/Mobile-Food-Vending-Carts-Apr-2012.pdf">hot dog vendors</a> require more permits than some child care providers.</p>
<p>The safety of dogs, and of the food we eat from street vendors, is of course important. And so is the safety of our babies and children.</p>
<h2>Prioritizing ‘parent choice’ over quality</h2>
<p>Given the risks unlicensed care poses to children, it is puzzling that governments continue to allow these businesses to operate without any review or assessment of quality and safety.</p>
<p>Research that we have just published in the <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/XQ5tsIzXRNNCIxKKtebY/full"><em>Journal of Risk Research</em></a> examines this question in the case of Ontario, which reviewed its legislation shortly after four young children (all under the age of two) <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/11/15/police_investigating_after_baby_dies_at_unregulated_markham_daycare.html">died</a> in <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/07/10/toddler_dies_at_unlicensed_vaughan_daycare_which_has_been_ordered_shut.html">unlicensed</a> <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/02/26/baby_found_dead_in_unlicensed_daycare.html">home</a> <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/11/23/daycare_crisis_ontario_inspections_reveal_numerous_violations.html">child care</a> within a seven month period in 2013 and 2014.</p>
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<p>There was significant media attention and subsequent public outcry at these deaths. </p>
<p>Yet when the government developed the new Ontario Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA), which came into effect on August 31, 2015, it chose to allow a portion of the home child care sector to <a href="https://www.ontario.ca/page/child-care-rules-child-care-and-early-years-act">remain unlicensed</a>.</p>
<p>Our research suggests a unique set of circumstances have resulted in a serious lack of oversight to ensure that our youngest citizens are in safe and nurturing environments. </p>
<p>Despite the recent deaths in care, we found that the policy debate — in legislative and subcommittee discussions — prioritized concerns of “access” and “parent choice” over evaluation of “quality” and “risk.” </p>
<h2>A flawed logic</h2>
<p>In worrying about access, policymakers and the attentive public expressed concern that if government increased oversight of unlicensed providers, some of them would fail to meet basic standards and would have to close. </p>
<p>Access to child care is, of course, a major concern for many parents. But shying away from licensing because it might force unsafe or poorly functioning providers to close seems very misguided, to say the least. </p>
<p>When it comes to “parent choice,” the logic runs something like this: Parents know what’s best for their families and should have the option to choose from a full range of options, including unlicensed care. </p>
<p>This logic is flawed in a number of ways. </p>
<p>For starters, it’s a very different logic to that which the government applies to pretty much all other services. Parents don’t have the choice (at least legally) to take their child to an unlicensed dentist or pediatrician, or out to dinner at a restaurant that hasn’t passed health and safety inspections.</p>
<p>There are a couple of factors specific to this sector that need to be attended to. One is that — due to the high cost and frequent shortages of child care — <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13668800903314366?journalCode=ccwf20">parents across North America often have no choice at all</a> but to take whatever space they can find, regardless of quality concerns. <a href="http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/atkinson/UserFiles/File/Events/20170602_Summer_Institute_2017/SI_2017_Presentations/Understanding_usage_patterns_and_oversight_of_unlicenced_family_child_care_in_Canada.pdf">Lower income parents who work irregular hours are really in this bind and use unlicensed care more often</a>.</p>
<p>The other is that <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00148-006-0087-6">“quality” in child care is very difficult to see and assess.</a> </p>
<h2>Parents misjudge quality</h2>
<p>Experts agree that one of the most important aspects of care is the way that caregivers interact with children. </p>
<p>But <a href="https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/ws/portalfiles/portal/8821474">identifying quality</a> in interactions is very difficult and generally requires training. Research studies show that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0885200697900429">parents tend to assess the quality of their child care</a> much <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0885200602001485">more favourably than do trained observers</a>.</p>
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<p>In the U.S. a large-scale policy effort has been made to measure quality and make those quality ratings available to parents. While this does put parents in a better position to make informed choices, it does not replace the need for regulations and oversight to ensure that basic quality standards are met. </p>
<p>Within the content of the hearings and debates we analyzed in Ontario, we did find some discussion of quality and risk. </p>
<p>But these were less frequent than discussions of choice and access to begin with and they decreased as more time passed after the deaths of the four children.</p>
<h2>Government oversight will reduce risks</h2>
<p>The other part of the problem for policymakers is that it’s hard to quantify just how risky unlicensed care is. </p>
<p>For example, in Ontario we <a href="https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/gyxg8j/when-your-baby-dies-in-a-home-daycare-whos-to-blame">don’t have accurate numbers</a> of child care deaths as <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/02/28/no_one_is_tracking_unregulated_daycare_deaths_in_ontario.html">coroners do not note the context when deaths in unlicensed child care occur</a>. </p>
<p>What we do know is that while unlicensed care can be of good quality, licensed providers are generally rated as providing <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/570f/671c5c9f88e4d49af585006b6e421131c164.pdf">higher</a> <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ed388402">quality</a> care on <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00756691">standardized measures</a>. </p>
<p>Licensed providers are also required to undergo criminal record checks, fire safety inspections and have up-to-date first aid certifications. </p>
<p>Parents going the unlicensed child care route must do the <a href="https://findingqualitychildcare.ca/">research</a>, inspect their potential or current care providers, and ask all the right questions. This places a big burden on parents and, arguably, it’s not a task that most parents are well-equipped to take on.</p>
<p>Bringing unlicensed home child care providers out of the cold and into the light of government oversight will go a long way to addressing these gaps in parent information and reducing the risks for children in care. </p>
<p>This policy action is doable. And it will only bring this sector up to the standard of any other sector that matters.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/91465/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Linda A. White receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Adrienne Davidson is a postdoctoral research fellow funded by the University of Toronto School of Public Policy & Governance and The Mowat Centre, an independent public policy think tank. She has previously received funding from Fulbright Canada and SSHRC. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michal Perlman receives funding from CIHR, SSHRC, the City of Toronto and the Ontario Ministry of Education and the following charitable foundations: Bernard van Leer and Margaret and Wallace McCain Family.</span></em></p>Until all child care facilities are licensed – and required to undergo criminal record checks, fire safety inspections and first aid training – children will continue to die.Linda A. White, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, University of TorontoAdrienne Davidson, Doctoral Candidate in Political Science, University of TorontoMichal Perlman, Associate Professor of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of TorontoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/896942018-02-07T05:00:15Z2018-02-07T05:00:15ZCanada must invest more in early childhood education, says new report<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203510/original/file-20180126-100915-1gh01yw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Prince Edward Island ranks first in Canada's Early Childhood Report 2017; Nunavut scores lowest, devoting only 0.9 per cent of its budget to early childhood education. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A trend is emerging in education in Canada: We are recognizing that early childhood education is beneficial for children, for families, for everyone. </p>
<p>Provinces and territories are focusing more attention on programs for preschoolers and the federal government is prepared to <a href="http://toronto.citynews.ca/2017/03/22/liberals-pour-billions-in-to-child-care-in-political-bid-to-win-over-families/">invest billions of dollars</a> in child care in the coming decade. </p>
<p><a href="http://ecereport.ca/en/">The Early Childhood Education Report 2017</a>, released today by my colleagues and me at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, shows that Canada has made great strides since a 2004 study by the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) <a href="http://www.oecd.org/edu/school/startingstrongiiearlychildhoodeducationandcare.htm">exposed the country as a policy laggard</a>.</p>
<p>Our report finds more than half of Canadian youngsters now attend an early education program before starting school. Governments are paying more attention to what goes on inside programs, with a focus on children’s safety and caregiver training, and schools are stepping up to offer more programs for preschoolers.</p>
<p>At the same time, the report underscores ongoing challenges for community-based child care. </p>
<h2>National early learning program</h2>
<p>In the OECD’s damning study, Canada came last in a review of early education across 20 member states. Our children were least likely to attend an early childhood education (ECE) program, and those offered were under-resourced and mediocre.</p>
<p>There is nothing like international shame to focus the mind of children’s advocates and, ultimately, policy makers.</p>
<p>The federal government responded with a <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news2/politics/canadavotes2011/realitycheck/2011/03/the-liberal-national-child-care-plan-evolution-of-a-promise.html">national plan for early learning and child care</a>, which had the provinces cutting ribbons on new childcare centres. In 2006, the Harper government came in with its own ideas about child care and the fledgling initiative ended. Dumped by their federal partner, the provinces nevertheless soldiered on.</p>
<p>By 2014, a <a href="http://ecereport.ca/media/uploads/pdfs/early-childhood-education-report2014-eng.pdf">cross-country scan</a> of early childhood services found the provinces and territories reaching a number of benchmarks, based on the OECD’s prescription to improve their standing. </p>
<p>That year spending jumped to $10.7 billion, from $2.5 billion in 2004. More kids were attending early learning programs and their quality was improving. </p>
<h2>Prince Edward Island ranks first</h2>
<p>The Early Childhood Education Report 2017 (ECER 2017) is the third and latest study to assess Canada’s early childhood services against <a href="http://ecereport.ca/en/report/methodology/">OECD benchmarks</a> that define government oversight, funding, access, program quality and the rigour of accountability mechanisms.</p>
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</figure>
<p><a href="http://ecereport.ca/en/ece-map/">The results are calculated from detailed provincial and territorial profiles</a> compiled by the researchers and reviewed by government officials. Researchers and officials co-determine the scores. </p>
<p>Prince Edward Island ranks first in ECER 2017, with 11 points out of a maximum of 15. The lowest score, at five points, is from Nunavut. The average score is eight. </p>
<h2>Investments in young children flat-lined</h2>
<p>While jurisdictions added to their ECE budgets — spending $11.7 billion in 2017 — as a percentage of overall spending, allocations for young children have flat-lined since the last assessment in 2014. </p>
<p>Quebec remained steady, devoting 4.4 per cent of its 2107 budget to early education, while Nunavut, with the largest proportion of children under five, spent only 0.9 per cent.</p>
<p>The report sets three per cent of budget as the minimum target for ECE: A modest threshold for an age group that makes up between five per cent and more than 13 per cent of provincial and territorial populations.</p>
<p>The Canada-wide tally doesn’t include the first instalment of Ottawa’s $7.5 billion set to flow in 2018 as part of a <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/early-learning-child-care/reports/2017-multilateral-framework.html">10-year agreement</a> to improve access to early education. </p>
<p>Six of the 13 jurisdictions have signed bilateral agreements with the federal government, a necessary condition to receiving the first round of funding. Most have committed to topping up the federal infusion with their own funds. </p>
<figure>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Craig Alexander, Conference Board of Canada Economist and former CD Howe and TD Bank economist describes the economic benefits of investing in the next generation of workers.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The next edition of the ECER is scheduled for 2020, coinciding with the next payments to the provinces from Ottawa. Because the report doesn’t only measure how much jurisdictions spend but also whether they spend wisely, evidence from phase one of the agreements will be essential to shaping the next phases.</p>
<h2>Schools biggest providers of preschool education</h2>
<p>The report identifies other trends: </p>
<ul>
<li>Per capita spending for ECE programs in schools is three times greater than spending on child care.</li>
<li>On average, kindergarten teachers earn twice as much as early childhood educators working in child care. </li>
<li>There are over one million child care spaces across Canada. Over half are for-profit. </li>
<li>Schools provide the majority of ECE. </li>
<li>Overall 95 per cent of five-year-olds and 40 per cent of four-year-olds get their early education in school. </li>
</ul>
<p>Kindergarten is not a replacement for child care, but it appears to provide enough care so that when these programs match the full school day, mothers enter the workforce at the same rate as they do when their children are in elementary school.</p>
<h2>Canada’s unfinished business</h2>
<p>Jurisdictions are wise to use schools to expand early learning. Education is already equipped. By contrast, outside of Quebec, child care reaches only 25 per cent of children. High fees exclude most families from accessing child care in all parts of Canada, including <a href="http://inm.qc.ca/commissionpetiteenfance/sommaire_rapport_cpe_en.pdf">Quebec</a>, and child care suffers from staffing shortages and quality deficiencies. </p>
<p>It would cost much less for schools to grow down to include younger children, and expand hours to cover parents’ working needs, than it would to transform child care into a universal, high-quality social program.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Inside an early education program: from the perspective of children, parents and educators. (Atkinson Centre)</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A <a href="http://www.conferenceboard.ca/e-library/abstract.aspx?did=9231">recent analysis by the Conference Board of Canada</a> calculates how expanding ECE would increase mothers’ labour force participation, improve child outcomes and reduce income inequality. </p>
<p>It recommends provinces and territories ensure all children have at least two years of full-day preschool and expand programming for younger children as resources permit. </p>
<p>This would bring Canada in line with its OECD counterparts.</p>
<h2>Clear benefits into adulthood</h2>
<p>Providing early education for every child in this way would be a big public spending item. But <a href="http://www.aera.net/Newsroom/Recent-AERA-Research/Impacts-of-Early-Childhood-Education-on-Medium-and-Long-Term-Educational-Outcomes">nearly 60 years of experimental studies</a> indicate clear benefits for children that last into adulthood. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.td.com/document/PDF/economics/special/di1112_EarlyChildhoodEducation.pdf">Canadian economists</a> calculate the cost-to-benefit ratio at between $2 and $7 returned for every $1 spent, depending on the population studied. </p>
<p>Yet behind the numbers lives early education’s most important role: Offering young children their own space and place to be children.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/89694/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kerry McCuaig receives funding from the Atkinson Foundation, the Margaret and Wallace McCain Foundation and the Lawson Foundation.</span></em></p>Schools across Canada should ‘grow down’ and offer two years of full-day preschool, according to a new report. This would allow mothers to work, improve child outcomes and reduce income inequality.Kerry McCuaig, Fellow in Early Childhood Policy, Atkinson Centre, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of TorontoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/750462017-03-27T05:21:51Z2017-03-27T05:21:51ZPolicyCheck: the government’s new child care plan<p>The government’s new child care plan has <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-23/governments-childcare-reforms-passed-the-senate/8381908">passed the Senate</a>, subject to last minute amendments passed by independent Senator Derryn Hinch. The bill, known officially as the <a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_LEGislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r5696">Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Jobs for Families Child Care Package) Bill 2016</a>, will now return to the lower house. It is expected to pass, and implementation to begin in July 2018. </p>
<p>This new law will change the way that families are given assistance with paying for child care.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/jobsforfamilies">main changes</a> include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Replacing the Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate with a new Child Care Subsidy. The new subsidy will have eligibility rules and be subject to means testing. Total Child Care Subsidy payments will be capped at A$10,000 for wealthy families and there will be zero subsidies for families earning more than A$350,000.</p></li>
<li><p>Introducing an hourly fee cap on the subsidies that governments will pay in an attempt to control child care price increases.</p></li>
<li><p>A new activity test, meaning that families will be eligible for either 36, 72 or 100 hours of subsidised care per fortnight depending upon the combined hours of work, training, study or other recognised activity undertaken. Both parents must work or study at least eight hours a fortnight to receive the new subsidy.</p></li>
<li><p>A new A$1 billion Child Care Safety Net aimed at helping families on less than A$65,710 who do not meet the activity test. These families will be able to get up to 24 hours per fortnight of subsidised care.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>Before: two complicated payments</h2>
<p>Families in Australia currently receive two types of support for child care: the Child Care Benefit and the Child Care Rebate (originally called the <a href="http://guides.dss.gov.au/family-assistance-guide/1/2/7">Child Care Tax Rebate</a>). </p>
<p>The Child Care Rebate covers 50% of families’ out-of-pocket costs of childcare up to A$7,500 per child – after you hit the A$7,500 threshold, you don’t get any more rebate.</p>
<p>The Child Care rebate is not means tested but the Child Care Benefit is.</p>
<p>How much Child Care Benefit you get depends on whether children are school-aged or pre-school aged, on the family’s current year income, the number of children in care and on the hours of care used.</p>
<p>Child care providers typically charge anywhere between around A$100 and around A$150 per day per child.</p>
<h2>Now: a single payment</h2>
<p>Under the new plan, the old Child Care Rebate and Child Care Subsidy will be rolled into a single new payment called the Child Care Subsidy.</p>
<p>Instead of a flat 50% rebate rate on what they pay, families with a household income of up to A$65,710 will get up to 85% of what they pay. The rate tapers down from there.</p>
<p>Families receiving more than A$185,710 in household income will also be subject to a cap of $10,000 on total Child Care Subsidy payments.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/162587/original/image-20170327-3283-994gq6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/162587/original/image-20170327-3283-994gq6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/162587/original/image-20170327-3283-994gq6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=202&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/162587/original/image-20170327-3283-994gq6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=202&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/162587/original/image-20170327-3283-994gq6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=202&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/162587/original/image-20170327-3283-994gq6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=254&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/162587/original/image-20170327-3283-994gq6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=254&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/162587/original/image-20170327-3283-994gq6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=254&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/a3_overview_16_feb_2017_1.pdf">Department of Education and Training</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/162589/original/image-20170327-3308-9oycmo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/162589/original/image-20170327-3308-9oycmo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/162589/original/image-20170327-3308-9oycmo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=248&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/162589/original/image-20170327-3308-9oycmo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=248&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/162589/original/image-20170327-3308-9oycmo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=248&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/162589/original/image-20170327-3308-9oycmo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=311&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/162589/original/image-20170327-3308-9oycmo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=311&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/162589/original/image-20170327-3308-9oycmo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=311&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/a3_overview_16_feb_2017_1.pdf">Department of Education and Training</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>New hourly fee cap</h2>
<p>An additional layer of complexity is added by the new policy’s fee caps – an attempt by the government to prevent higher subsidies from leading directly to increased prices.</p>
<p>The new child care subsidy rate will not apply to what families actually pay but rather to the new hourly fee caps. The fee caps will be indexed to the consumer price index (CPI). Over the last 12 years, child care prices have <a href="https://theconversation.com/factcheck-what-are-the-facts-on-rising-child-care-prices-71014">grown much more rapidly</a> than inflation. That’s due mainly to increased demand and the <a href="http://www.acecqa.gov.au/national-quality-framework">National Quality Framework</a>, which meant higher-skilled staff and smaller classes.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/152955/original/image-20170117-9029-6gdz2w.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/152955/original/image-20170117-9029-6gdz2w.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=284&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152955/original/image-20170117-9029-6gdz2w.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=284&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152955/original/image-20170117-9029-6gdz2w.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=284&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152955/original/image-20170117-9029-6gdz2w.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152955/original/image-20170117-9029-6gdz2w.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152955/original/image-20170117-9029-6gdz2w.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Chart by the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods, using Australian Bureau of Statistics data.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It is very hard for governments to control prices in any market. These hourly price caps, given the price increases associated with quality improvements in child care, may end up creating a two-tiered market, with high-end providers charging what the market will bear and low-end providers tying themselves to the subsidy rate. </p>
<p>This two-tiered system of high- and low-priced childcare centres already exists to some extent in most urban areas in Australia. The gap between these may be exacerbated by the attempt to control prices.</p>
<p>As many child care providers currently charge <em>daily</em> rates, and have the power to determine how many hours of care are provided in any given day, it’s unclear how the new system of <em>hourly</em> fee caps will work in practice.</p>
<h2>Which families will get more and which will get less?</h2>
<p>It is clear that wealthy families will receive less money. Those earning over A$350,000 – who, under the old scheme, could get as much as A$7,500 per child – will now receive nothing. This increases the effective marginal tax rates on second earners in wealthy households.</p>
<p>The policy effect on other income groups depends on household income, whether the hourly price of the care they currently use is more expensive than the fee cap, and whether they are affected by the new activity test.</p>
<p>Most, though not all, families earning over A$250,000 will be negatively affected. Those that will be better off are those who work long hours and use relatively inexpensive childcare and are near the A$250,000 threshold.</p>
<p>A substantial fraction of households earning less than the A$65,710 will be worse off, mostly because they will fail to meet the activity test.</p>
<h2>How might the new plan affect workforce participation and productivity?</h2>
<p>It’s not clear what effect all this will have on workforce participation. On average, women from the wealthiest families will work less.</p>
<p>On average, women from less well-off families may end up working more in response to the new policy.</p>
<p>One might expect an overall positive impact on total female labour force participation but this depends greatly upon the economy’s ability to deliver jobs. This will vary greatly by geographic region.</p>
<p>Female labour force participation is already widespread, so this policy will not generate a huge new pool of workers. It will have small positive effects on willingness to work and working hours, but these will be small compared to macro-economic effects such as global commodity prices or the performance of the Chinese economy.</p>
<p>Long-term productivity should be higher because <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/early-childhood-education-3187">experts</a> think better and more early childhood education and care will produce better long term outcomes.</p>
<p>Overall, the policy seems tilted towards less expensive child care for families, which is good. However, it may work against improving <a href="http://www.acecqa.gov.au/national-quality-framework">quality child care</a>, which is expensive. </p>
<p>Policymakers have to decide whether there are more productivity gains to be had in increasing women’s workforce participation or, in the longer term, in investing in higher quality child care.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/75046/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robert Breunig does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Here’s how the government’s new childcare plan will change the way families are given assistance with paying for child care.Robert Breunig, Professor of Economics, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/710142017-01-18T01:34:47Z2017-01-18T01:34:47ZFactCheck: what are the facts on rising child care prices?<blockquote>
<p>We’ve already had great success in terms of reducing the rate of price growth. We saw during the Rudd-Gillard years price spikes of up to 14% over a 12 month period. Under the Coalition, that’s been brought down to around 6% on average. So we actually have much lower growth in relation to child care costs, but to achieve the real changes we need, we need to get our child care reforms through to Parliament. <strong>– Education Minister Simon Birmingham, <a href="http://www.senatorbirmingham.com.au/Media-Centre/Interview-Transcripts/ID/3335/Doorstop-Adelaide">doorstop interview</a>, January 8, 2017.</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>As the working year starts again and many children return to formal child care, Education Minister Simon Birmingham has called on Labor to support a suite of reforms he says will ensure prices rise more slowly.</p>
<p>Simon Birmingham said the Coalition has “had great success in terms of reducing the rate of price growth”. Under Labor, he said, there were price spikes of up to 14% over a 12 month period but under the Coalition, “that’s been brought down to around 6% on average”.</p>
<p>Is that accurate?</p>
<h2>Checking the source</h2>
<p>When asked for sources to support his statement, a spokesperson for Simon Birmingham referred The Conversation to the Department of Education and Training’s <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/child-care-update">Early Childhood and Child Care in Summary reports</a>, and in particular page 11 of the <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/node/42331">March quarter 2016 report</a>, which contained this table:</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/152217/original/image-20170110-16999-1ngcjee.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/152217/original/image-20170110-16999-1ngcjee.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/152217/original/image-20170110-16999-1ngcjee.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152217/original/image-20170110-16999-1ngcjee.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152217/original/image-20170110-16999-1ngcjee.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152217/original/image-20170110-16999-1ngcjee.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152217/original/image-20170110-16999-1ngcjee.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152217/original/image-20170110-16999-1ngcjee.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Average and annual percentage change to Long Day Care hourly fees, March quarter 2007 to the March quarter 2016.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/eccc_in_summary_mar_quarter_2016.pdf">Australian Department of Education and Training, Early Childhood and Child Care in Summary March quarter 2016</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The spokesperson also referred The Conversation to Simon Birmingham’s January 8 <a href="http://www.senatorbirmingham.com.au/Media-Centre/Media-Releases/ID/3334/Child-care-fee-increases-highlight-need-for-Turnbull-Governments-reforms">media release</a>, in which the minister discussed the release of the government’s <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/eccc_in_summary_mar_quarter_2016_0.pdf">March quarter 2016 report</a> on child care costs.</p>
<h2>A one-off price spike and longer term trends</h2>
<p>Simon Birmingham was correct when he said child care prices spiked to 14% over a 12 month period during the Rudd-Gillard years. Department of Education data from 2007-2016 show prices spiked up to 14% in the 2008-09 financial year.</p>
<p>But with the exception of the one-off spike in 2008-09, child care prices over the last decade have continued to increase close to their usual trajectory of average annual price increases of 6.8% – whether it was the Coalition or Labor in power. </p>
<p>Annual price growth has been slightly below that 6.8% average since the Coalition came to power in 2013 – closer to 6%, as the minister correctly said. The chart above provided by the minister’s office clearly shows the blue line (the rate of price growth) has been below the red line (the average increase) for the entire period of the Abbott/Turnbull government.</p>
<p>But, as that chart also shows, that trend began before the Coalition took office in 2013 and child care pricing and rebate policy hasn’t changed much since Labor lost the 2013 election. The Turnbull government does have a package of new measures it hopes to get through parliament, but it hasn’t passed yet.</p>
<p>So to say “we’ve already had great success in terms of reducing the rate of price growth” is taking credit for a reduction in the rate of growth that is likely due to broader market forces – like low inflation and slow wage growth – not government policy.</p>
<h2>Why was there a spike?</h2>
<p>The 14% price spike in the 2008-09 financial year was likely due to a one-off event – the major expansion of the <a href="https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/child-care-rebate">Child Care Rebate</a>. In that year, the maximum Child Care Rebate payment was <a href="http://www.budget.gov.au/2008-09/content/overview2/html/overview_10.htm">increased</a> by around $3,000 to $7,500 per child, per year. </p>
<p>A portion of the higher payment was likely taken by child care providers through record price rises. Department of Education figures show marked price increases in the September and March quarters of the 2008-09 financial year, marked with circles below.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/152419/original/image-20170111-4585-1e5540l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/152419/original/image-20170111-4585-1e5540l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=215&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152419/original/image-20170111-4585-1e5540l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=215&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152419/original/image-20170111-4585-1e5540l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=215&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152419/original/image-20170111-4585-1e5540l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=270&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152419/original/image-20170111-4585-1e5540l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=270&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152419/original/image-20170111-4585-1e5540l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=270&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Department of Education ABS Centre for Social Research and Methods.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What’s the overall trend?</h2>
<p>The ABS Consumer Price Index shows the amount paid by parents after the <a href="https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/child-care-benefit">Child Care Benefit</a> and the <a href="https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/child-care-rebate">Child Care Rebate</a> have been taken into account. This is the “net” price paid by parents. Removing the impact of the changes in childcare benefit and rebate changes leaves the “gross” price index – the prices charged by childcare operators.</p>
<p>The chart below confirms the continued long-term trend of strong child care price inflation. The gross price index (purple line) has continued to increase strongly throughout the period. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/152955/original/image-20170117-9029-6gdz2w.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/152955/original/image-20170117-9029-6gdz2w.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=284&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152955/original/image-20170117-9029-6gdz2w.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=284&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152955/original/image-20170117-9029-6gdz2w.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=284&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152955/original/image-20170117-9029-6gdz2w.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152955/original/image-20170117-9029-6gdz2w.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152955/original/image-20170117-9029-6gdz2w.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Chart by the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods, using Australian Bureau of Statistics data.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Over the long-term, the net cost of child care – the cost after subsidies are received, shown as a green line in the chart above – has not grown as quickly as household income (the red line). That’s largely due to increases in the Child Care Rebate. </p>
<p>More recently, however, affordability has deteriorated significantly. According to the ABS Consumer Price Index, there have been real cost increases of around 56%. That’s because child care subsidies haven’t increased in real terms – at rates greater than inflation – since 2008-09. </p>
<h2>What factors affect child care prices?</h2>
<p>Child care prices are determined within a complex market. Government does have a role to play, but a host of other forces also play an important part in determining child care prices.</p>
<p>These factors include the supply of child care centres and centre vacancies (both of which have increased recently), demographic and labour market changes (particularly the strong growth in female workforce participation), and regulatory changes (such as the <a href="http://www.acecqa.gov.au/national-quality-framework">National Quality Framework</a>, which seeks to increase the quality of child care). </p>
<p>Major child care subsidies have remained largely unchanged since 2008 and there has been little change in other areas of child care policy since the Rudd and Gillard Labor governments. So it’s unlikely that the Coalition government has had any major influence on prices beyond broader market forces. </p>
<h2>Verdict</h2>
<p>Simon Birmingham got his numbers right on child care price increases – but he overstated how much of the change was due to government policy.</p>
<p>The minister was correct when he said there had been a 14% price spike during the Rudd-Gillard years. However, this was a one-off spike in 2008-09 most likely related to the expansion of the Child Care Rebate.</p>
<p>He was also right that price growth has now fallen to around 6% on average. According to the Department of Education price data, annual price growth has been below the decade-long average of 6.8% for the entire period of the Abbott/Turnbull government. That decrease began before the Coalition came to power.</p>
<p>But was it accurate to claim “we’ve already had great success in terms of reducing the rate of price growth”? No – that’s overstating the impact the government has had, and understating the effect of broader market forces.</p>
<p>Major child care subsidies have remained largely the same since 2008 and there has been little change in other areas of child care policy since the Rudd/Gillard Labor governments. So it’s unlikely that the current government has had any major influence on prices. <strong>– Ben Phillips</strong></p>
<hr>
<h2>Review</h2>
<p>This is a sound analysis, providing the full details and statistics to put the minister’s statement in context. <strong>– Guyonne Kalb</strong></p>
<hr>
<p><div class="callout"> Have you ever seen a “fact” worth checking? The Conversation’s FactCheck asks academic experts to test claims and see how true they are. We then ask a second academic to review an anonymous copy of the article. You can request a check at checkit@theconversation.edu.au. Please include the statement you would like us to check, the date it was made, and a link if possible.</div></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/71014/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The education minister says that under Labor there were child care price spikes of up to 14% over a 12 month period, but under the Coalition those have fallen to “around 6% on average”. Is that right?Ben Phillips, Associate professor, Centre for Social Research and Methods (CSRM), Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/645822016-10-25T02:33:09Z2016-10-25T02:33:09ZIs Clinton or Trump a better choice for parents?<p>When asked, <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/10/09/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-debate/91831066/">at the close of the second presidential debate,</a> to say something nice about her opponent, Hillary Clinton responded by complimenting Donald Trump’s children. They are, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/video/us/politics/100000004696522/trump-and-clinton-in-second-presidential-debate.html">she said</a>, “able and devoted.” </p>
<p><a href="http://qz.com/809670/how-to-parent-your-young-child-through-the-final-weeks-of-the-us-presidential-election/">Parenting</a> has been a central theme of this election cycle. As part of an effort to render Clinton more vibrantly human, the Democratic National Convention focused on her relationships with friends and colleagues, with her mother, and – most importantly – with her daughter and grandchildren. In a similar vein, Trump’s children played key roles in the Republican National Convention, providing anecdotes to make him more familiar to American voters.</p>
<p>However, many of Trump’s encounters with parents and children have drawn negative attention. His <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/31/us/politics/donald-trump-khizr-khan-wife-ghazala.html?_r=0">tone-deaf response</a> to two grieving Gold Star parents led many to criticize him <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/03/us/politics/donald-trump-gop.html">as cold-hearted</a>. The candidate was also criticized when he <a href="http://www.npr.org/2016/08/02/488395073/trump-kicks-baby-out-of-rally">asked a woman at a rally in Virginia to leave</a> when her baby disrupted his speech. </p>
<p>Even before recent tapes and allegations came to light showing Trump boasting of sexually predatory behaviors and ogling young women, his campaign had provided Clinton with enough material <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrX3Ql31URA">to run an ad</a> asking parents across the country whether they wanted a bully in the White House.</p>
<p>Certainly there are reasons to be concerned when a presidential candidate doesn’t grasp the basic concept that women are humans – <a href="https://theconversation.com/donald-trump-and-the-dangerous-rhetoric-of-portraying-people-as-objects-66810">not objects</a>. It is possible to simply assume that such a person would fail to advocate for families and women as president. But such a lack of focus on policies denigrates public discourse and the political process.</p>
<p>I have written about <a href="http://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=24571">pregnancy and family life</a> in the United States, through the lens of celebrity culture, and teach a course on reproductive law and politics. That research and teaching makes me attuned to the ways that family life is impacted by policies and politics. So, I ask, what are the candidates’ policies and positions on issues of importance to families in the United States? </p>
<h2>Ability to time pregnancies</h2>
<p>Access to birth control is an important part of being able to plan for pregnancy. As <a href="https://theconversation.com/where-do-the-2016-candidates-stand-on-contraception-55552">I have previously noted</a>, Hillary Clinton is endorsed by Planned Parenthood and has been <a href="https://www.bustle.com/articles/75778-whats-hillary-clintons-position-on-birth-control-7-times-she-championed-for-access-to-birth-control">a strong advocate for expanding access to birth control</a> for women in the United States. Donald Trump does not have a policy articulated regarding birth control, but he recently said that <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2016/09/15/donald_trump_thinks_you_shouldn_t_need_a_prescription_for_birth_control.html">he does not think</a> prescriptions should be necessary for “the pill.” This is a stance many feminists take – arguing that access would be wider if a doctor visit wasn’t required.</p>
<p>Access to pregnancy termination services is also a concern for families: <a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/united-states/abortion/demographics">59 percent of abortions </a>in the United States are obtained by women who already have children. Trump has stated that he would appoint justices who would return decision-making about abortion law more firmly to the states. He has previously stated that women who receive abortions should perhaps be punished. In the third debate, Trump <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/21/health/donald-trump-debate-late-abortion-remarks.html?_r=0">wrongly characterized </a>late-term abortion as “rip[ping] the baby out of the womb in the ninth month, on the final day.” Clinton views late-term abortion as part of a range of women’s reproductive health decision-making. She is an <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/10/hillary-clintons-powerful-defense-of-abortion-rights/504866/">adamant pro-choice candidate</a>, and would appoint justices who uphold Roe v. Wade. </p>
<h2>Family leave</h2>
<p>Once a child is born, families <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/social-mobility-memos/2016/07/06/how-much-paid-parental-leave-do-americans-really-want/">often must struggle</a> with workplace policies that make it difficult for workers to parent – and parents to work. </p>
<p>Trump’s policy proposal is to allow “<a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/policies/child-care/">new mothers</a>” six weeks of paid leave. The paid maternity leave proposed by Trump would not include men, even if they were single parents. It would not include female partners of a woman taking leave or adoptive mothers.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/paid-leave/">Clinton’s proposal</a> is for 12 weeks of paid leave for any person engaged in parental or other family caretaking, regardless of gender, role in the family or adoption status. </p>
<p>Beyond the six-week difference in leave time, there are <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/beauty/trump-and-clinton-on-paid-leave-key-differences-165554506.html">significant differences </a>in these policies, in terms of who would be able to access the benefit, if enacted. </p>
<h2>Child care and early childhood education</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/05/12/the-enormous-ambition-of-hillary-clintons-child-care-plan/">(high) cost and (often low) quality</a> of child care in the United States is a significant problem for American parents. These parents say that <a href="http://whyy.org/cms/radiotimes/2016/09/19/the-high-cost-of-child-care-family-leave-and-the-presidential-candidates-plans/">presidential proposals regarding childcare</a> are important to them, in choosing who to vote for. Clinton’s child care plan is sweeping in its scope. She calls for <a href="https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/early-childhood-education/">universal access</a> to <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/09/hillary-clinton-answers-10-questions-on-early-education/498659/">pre-K programs</a> and <a href="http://fortune.com/2016/07/24/dnc-hillary-clinton-child-care/">early childhood education</a>, and seeks policy change to raise the quality and affordability of child care in the United States, while increasing the pay of child care workers. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/policies/child-care/">Trump’s plan</a> to increase access to early childhood education and child care for working parents is to provide additional care-related tax deductions for families earning less than US$500,000 and an earned income tax credit rebate for “lower-income” families. Trump would extend those deductions to stay-at-home parents, enabling them to “choose the child care scenario that is in their best interests.” </p>
<p><a href="http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2016/10/24/clinton-trump-child-care">Analysts call both plans</a> “pragmatic,” but indicate that Clinton’s would save families more money on care.</p>
<h2>Insurance and health care</h2>
<p>Families also report that health insurance and health coverage for parents and children are significant electoral issues. </p>
<p>Donald Trump has vowed to <a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/policies/health-care/">repeal the Affordable Care Act</a>, also known as Obamacare, and replace it with a plan that provides federal block grants to states and stresses the benefits of a free market in insurance and care.</p>
<p>Hillary Clinton has promised to expand Obamacare, to enable “<a href="https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/health-care/">universal, quality, affordable”</a> care for everyone living in the United States. This means that Clinton would extend health coverage to immigrants living undocumented in the United States, something Trump opposes. Clinton has stated repeatedly that she considers reproductive health care and mental health care to both be vital parts of any plan.</p>
<h2>Gun safety</h2>
<p>Donald Trump has been <a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/policies/constitution-and-second-amendment/">endorsed by the National Rifle Association</a> and has come out <a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/policies/constitution-and-second-amendment/">against gun reform legislation</a> that would limit access to certain types of weapons, or particular magazine size. </p>
<p>Hillary Clinton supports Second Amendment rights but also <a href="https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/gun-violence-prevention/">supports gun reform legislation</a> meant to prevent school violence, child gun accidents and domestic homicide. These include provisions such as expanded background checks and denial of right to carry for those who have engaged in domestic abuse. Also included: bans on “military-style” weapons and technologies like trigger locks. The candidate herself identifies gun safety as an issue important to families.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/64582/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Renee Cramer receives funding from the National Science Foundation for work investigating regulatory governance of midwives in the U.S.</span></em></p>A look at the policy proposals that will impact family life.Renee Cramer, Professor of Law, Politics and Society, Drake UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.