The daycare lottery
Globe and Mail
Feb 17, 2006
ELLEN VANDERGRIFT

Richmond, B.C -- Re Fund The Child, Not The System (Feb. 13):

Sending my children to daycare is something I do "for" them, not "to" them. Even a super mom couldn't provide all the fun and educational opportunities my daughters love there. Of course, I'm one of the lucky ones. Four hundred families are on the waiting list for 12 infant spots in this "affordable, high-quality" daycare.

Why would we want child care to be cheap? Cheap means smaller spaces, fewer supplies, poorly paid caregivers. And caregivers are the most important resource for children in care. If "choice" really is key, there must be guilt-free choices for women who do not have a choice about working full-time.