Dollars & Sense; Whether you have kids or not, quality childcare is at the heart of a healthy economy
Nelson Daily News
By: Hannah Wright 
30 Apr 2008

When Georgia Argyle moved to Nelson last year, the lack of childcare forced her to leave the workforce in order to look after her son.

Although she found alternative solutions to enable her to keep earning as a single mother, the West Kootenays is littered with stories of parents who are similarly forced out of the workforce, unable to return after maternity leave, due to a lack of available childcare.

"The lack of childcare has become a labour problem now because... we've got the minister of finance saying we're a province of jobs looking for workers but then there's no where for families who want to work to get childcare... and a parent is going to stay home before they leave their child with someone they don't have confidence in," said Nelson psychologist and child care advocate Todd Kettner….

The economic effects of this current problem are devastating in a community that is already suffering a labour shortage problem.

"Our economy is being affected because there are a reduced number of people at work because they have to stay home due to a lack of child care spaces. It's access to child care that is becoming a real issue, and there is already labour supply, and labour and skill shortage issues in the Kootenays," said Nelson economist Mike Stolte.

"I can tell you with some certainty that there is a huge cost to society and to the economic side of the agenda when parents can't return to work in a timely fashion because of the absence of early learning or childcare programs," said Charles Coffey, Chair of the Council for Early Childhood Development.

Labor retention is a key issue evident throughout the province and is a further economic toll that a lack in childcare is taking. In particular small businesses are being strained by a constant turnover of staff and staff absences as a result of no childcare.

It has been estimated that $2.7 billion is the cost to Canadian organizations as a result of clashes between work and life resulting in work absences. …

"I know of many individual cases of someone who moved here for a job, got here, and then couldn't take it because there was no childcare; so that's pretty clear on economic challenges that the crisis is causing," said Toni Hoyland, president of the Early Childhood Educators of BC (ECEBC).

A LONG TERM INVESTMENT

In a report completed by Kim Adamson, a case study was used to show the cost benefit analysis of providing government subsided child care to a young single mother in Nelson to allow her to go back to school for qualifications to improve her chances of getting work.

The results showed that a huge return on investment would be generated for the government, whereas if that same mother had stayed on government support for her working years it would be a much heavier financial drain on government resources.

Stolte says his research backs this evidence, and that if early childhood education is prioritised now, communities could see a return on investment of up to six times.

"After looking at the economic argument I saw that there was a really compelling case to providing quality Early Childhood Education but unfortunately you need some support from federal and provincial governments," he said.

"A lot of really progressive employers are now instituting on-site childcare as a solution because they recognise that it gives them a competitive advantage in competing for a pretty limited supply of skilled workers." ….

"More business leaders need to throw their support behind childcare because in a local small economy like ours it makes a difference - it makes a difference to staff turn over and it makes a different to satisfaction of employees," said Kettner.

The message of many experts on early childhood suggest that if we don't get education right in a child's early years the cost to the society and the economy will be great.

"The research now is so compelling and overwhelming that it is difficult for policy makers at the federal and provincial level to ignore the economics of childcare," said Coffey.

"That cost will come in the form of special education, drop out students, in some cases criminal activity and so on," he said.

In other words, a child provided with the best possible start to life will be more able to provide successful contribution to society in later life.

"If we are looking at retiring at any time in our life's we need to know that the children that are growing up and replacing us and putting money into the pension plan are strong, well adjusted individuals who have had a good start," said Hoyland.

"The economy of our community is tied to having childcare as a centre piece... it just seems to me that that is a lost message somehow that people look at it and think its not their issue - but I see it as everyone's issue in order to keep our community functioning well," she said.