Woeful lack of daycare is intolerable
Vancouver Sun
1 Apr 06
By Jacqueline Sheppet

I am a professional woman.

The government subsidized my university education for five years. So I am certain it would like to see a return on its investment by encouraging me to return to work from my one-year maternity leave.

Alas, that is not to be -- I simply cannot find daycare for my son.

As soon as I became pregnant I put my child down on waiting lists. One daycare told me there was a three-year wait at its centre, and I am No. 98 on the list in another.

This is played out over and over everywhere I have been trying to place my son. There is a severe shortage of supply out there to meet the daycare demand.

Ottawa doesn't think it is necessary to create more places. It has proposed, instead, $1,200 annually for parents towards daycare.

I cannot think of how that is going to find me a daycare space.

This situation is intolerable.

Why would the government be so keen to reduce its tax base by forcing educated women to stay at home for lack of daycare when a small investment would yield such a high return?