Politicians and media must pay more attention to childcare
May 10, 2009
Georgia Straight
By Charlie Smith

Since becoming the editor of the Georgia Straight nearly four years ago, I've learned a great deal about the challenges faced by parents of young children.

That's because we've had a bit of a baby boom at the Straight. ….

What I've learned is that childcare is outrageously expensive: an average of $996 per month in Vancouver for toddlers, according to Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre.

I've also learned that childcare is the central issue in the lives of many working women.

And I've discovered that most politicians and political parties give this issue lip service, as demonstrated by a recent article by Pieta Woolley.

In France and Quebec, middle-class women are not forced to set aside their careers and sabotage their income-earning potential because the government refuses to recognize the reality that women with jobs sometimes have kids.

In the rest of Canada, on the other hand, parents are left to scramble not only to find spaces for their kids, but also to cope with outrageous costs.

Municipal governments have not always made it easy for employers to create child-care centres at work, though that is beginning to change, according to a different article by Pieta Woolley. The federal government thinks it's good enough to write parents a cheque for $100 per month….

It's time to look for real solutions for parents of young children. I can tell you that that the status quo isn't even close to being acceptable for most working women, who perform such vital roles in our company and in the overall economy.