Reasons I think $10/day childcare is a good idea even though my ‘baby’ is 16:
-We never needed to have all 3 kids in childcare at the same time because the 2 oldest were in K-6 by the time the youngest came along. I can’t imagine how we could have afforded it. 1/

-We chose the best childcare we could afford at the time. For the youngest, it was an amazing program, and it was >$800/month (back then!). After our mortgage, it was our biggest expense each month. 2/

-We were so fortunate that his childcare was at the YMCA. An excellent program near our house, with hot meals plus swimming and music lessons, caring instructors, field trips, lots of fun, and he was SO ready for kindergarten. 3/

-We had him at a licensed day home with very nice people before we got the YMCA spot, but if they were sick, we had no child care. One year they took an extended Christmas break and we had nothing for 2 weeks. These are HUGE stresses to working parents. 4/

-Once he was in school, we finally had a bit of money to do things like travel, not carry a credit card balance, make lump sum mortgage payments, bump up the kids’ college savings and our retirement savings, enjoy outings, and get me a new car. 5/

-If we had had $600 a month (the difference between $10/day & what we paid) years sooner, we could have been putting those $$$ into the economy sooner. Even though *I* will not have this financial advantage, I am not so selfish that I can’t see how this will help others. 6/

-People who have money to spend in the economy beyond their basic needs help ALL of us, don’t they? Jobs come from having customers, not from corporate tax cuts. Working people also pay taxes. Parents who can afford child care might even be able to afford starting a business 7/

-The childcare centres themselves are job creators. My 2 older kids both had jobs at childcare centres while they were in university. They would work during their breaks and take late afternoon shifts. 8/

-One day I hope I will have grandchildren. Whether UCP likes it or not, affordable childcare IS a huge factor for families in considering how many children to have or whether to have children at all. Even if childcare is in YOUR past, it can affect the future for ALL of us. 9/9