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One in 10 Canadian Children Living in Poverty: Report Card
Source: Winnipeg Free Press, November 23, 2011
Excerpt: 'Canada has made little progress in the past two decades when it comes to poverty reduction, a coalition of anti-poverty groups said in a report card released Wednesday. Despite government pledges to focus on stamping out poverty--particularly among children--the number of children living in poverty has dropped only 20 per cent in 20 years, Campaign 2000 said in the document. Meanwhile, Canada's economy has more than doubled in size in that same time frame, the organization said."
Ontario Doesn’t Make the Grade in Early Childhood Education, Report Finds
Source: Toronto Star, November 22, 2011
Excerpt: "Despite offering full-day kindergarten, Ontario has more work to do when it comes to early childhood education, says the third Early Years Study. Just three provinces--Quebec, PEI and Manitoba--were given passing grades in the newly created Early Childhood Education Index by study co-authors Margaret Norrie McCain, Kerry McCuaig and the late Dr. Fraser Mustard. Based on measures such as funding, availability, quality of curriculum, staff training and government oversight, Ontario scored just 6.5 out of 15. Quebec was the top scorer at 10, followed by PEI at 9.5 and Manitoba at 7.5. "Obviously there is much room for improvement," says the report, released Tuesday. "More children are involved in early education than ever before. However, the split between oversight and delivery still requires too many parents to piece together arrangements to cover their work schedules. The results are stressful for children and parents alike.""
School Board to Partner on Daycare
Source: Ottawa Citizen, November 22, 2011
Excerpt: "Parents and childcare activists have won a hard-fought battle to convince Ottawa's public school board to partner with third-party childcare providers to offer the extended day program. Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday night to implement a hybrid delivery model for the program, which is the before- and after-school piece of the province's $1.5-billion, full-day kindergarten initiative."
Edleun Group posts Q3 loss of $957K; revenue up 115 per cent at $4.9M
Source: Winnipeg Free Press, November 21, 2011
Excerpt: "Edleun Group Inc. (TSXV: EDU), a provider of early childhood education and child-care services, saw its loss widen slightly in the third quarter despite a big increase in revenue. The company, based in Calgary, said its Q3 loss was $957,000 or less than a penny per share, compared with a net loss of $896,000, also less than a penny per share, in the same 2010 period. Revenue for the three months ended Sept. 30 was $4.9 million, more than double the $2.3 million in revenue in the 2010 period."
A Remarkable Canadian
Source: Toronto Star, November 20, 2011
Excerpt: "In celebrating the life of Fraser Mustard, where does one begin? There is Fraser the pioneering medical researcher discovering the role of Aspirin in dissolving platelets that can clog our blood vessels and lead to heart attacks. There is Fraser, the dean of medicine at McMaster University and a pioneer in new ways to teach medicine…. And, of course, Fraser as the champion of the importance of the earliest years in life in setting the trajectories for adult health and learning. Fraser as founder of the Council for Early Child Development. And more."
Early Childhood Education for all Kids Starting at Age 2
Source: Toronto Star, Parenting Central blog, November 22, 2011
Excerpt: "Today we learned about a report that recommends good quality, publicly-funded early childhood education for all Canadian children starting at the age of 2. The Early Years Study 3 said there was an "avalanche of evidence" that shows just how far quality, play-based childcare goes to set children on a good path in life. This report is the third installment in a series of research papers by the late Dr. Fraser Mustard, Margaret Norrie McCain and Kerry McCuiag, which set the groundword for all-day kindergarten in Ontario. In an exclusive interview with the Star, Mustard, who passed away last week, made the point that the risk for physical and mental health problems is set in early childhood. It's important to note that - just like kindergarten in Ontario - this kind of program would be optional."
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Provinces Fill Void on Early Education
Source: Toronto Star, Charles Pascal (editorial), November 22, 2011
Excerpt: "Almost six years ago, Stephen Harper scrapped a national early learning and care program, putting an end to arguably what would have been the most important contribution to nation-building since universal health care. In a report that came out Tuesday, Fraser Mustard (who passed away a week ago) and two colleagues suggest that when it comes to supporting early child development, we may be back to building a better Canada one province at a time. Using the thin veil of “choice” for parents, Harper substituted a so-called child-care program to provide parents 100 bucks per month for each child under 6 — enough to buy Aunt Emma a nice gift for minding the kids — and seriously impeded the ability to build consistently available and affordable early learning and care centres across the country that so many Canadian parents desperately need. Given that Harper has turned Ottawa into an evidence-free zone — with his crime bill as the latest example — he ignored the social, economic and scientific evidence regarding the important return on investing in early learning. Many thought Canada would be left even further behind as a result."
Quebec, PEI, Manitoba Surge Ahead on Early Childhood Education
Source: Globe and Mail, Kate Hammer, November 22, 2011
Excerpt: "Over the course of his career, Fraser Mustard became known for big ideas that linked diverse fields, from medicine to psychology, and later, to education. He devoted his final major report, released less than a week after his death, to early childhood learning, leaving the provinces with a way to measure and compare their preschool systems. Dr. Mustard, and his first-of-its-kind Early Childhood Education Index, gave a passing grade to only three provinces in the report, which was released on Tuesday morning. Despite the low marks, he was optimistic that the provinces would use the index to learn from one another, and continue recent improvements to early childhood programs."
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Fraser Mustard: Early Child Development Advocate Dies at 84
Fraser Mustard's knowledge, passion and energy about the value of early human development and its importance over the lifespan have been major influences on those working in early education. His commitment to bridging science, policy and practice is the foundation of the Atkinson Centre's continuing work. His memory will continue to inform and inspire. He will be greatly missed.
Remembering Dr. Fraser Mustard
Source: Here and Now, CBC Radio, November 17, 2011
Description: "Early childhood education pioneer Dr. Fraser Mustard passed away on Wednesday. Laura spoke with Jan Pelletier. She's a director of child studies at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. She talked about Dr. Mustard's legacy."
Childhood Education Pioneer Fraser Mustard Dies
Source: CBC, November 17, 2011
Excerpt: "Dr. Fraser Mustard, a Canadian pioneer of early childhood development whose work helped pave the way for full-day kindergarten, has died. He was 84. A colleague at the Founders Network says Mustard died at home Wednesday night surrounded by his family. Cheryl Mooney, who worked with Mustard for 15 years, says the doctor was a visionary who saw what needed to be done before others did. His primary mission was to convey the crucial importance of a child's experiences in the first six years of life."
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Remembering Dr. Fraser Mustard (1927 - 2011)
Source: University of Toronto, November 17, 2011
Excerpt: "The University of Toronto mourns the loss of U of T alumnus Dr. Fraser Mustard – an intellectual giant whose influence spanned medical research and education, multidisciplinary advanced research and early childhood development. Along the way, Dr. Mustard inspired generations of students, scholars, and policy-makers around the world."
Medical Researcher Fraser Mustard dies at 84
Source: Globe and Mail, November 17, 2011
Excerpt: "Fraser Mustard, the internationally recognized medical researcher and thinker, died of cancer in Toronto on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011. He was 84. Born in Toronto on Oct. 16, 1927, Dr. Mustard earned a medical degree from the University of Toronto in 1953. A researcher as well as a clinician, Dr. Mustard was initially interested in heart disease, but gradually broadened his fields of study to include not only the entire body but the mind and the social and intellectual potential of individuals, especially children."
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Dr. Fraser Mustard, World Renowned for Work in Early Childhood Development
Source: Toronto Star, November 17, 2011
Excerpt: "He got the world talking about the importance of early childhood. Dr. Fraser Mustard's impassioned campaign calling attention to the crucial first years of life -- and how they set the stage for the health and well-being for the rest of life -- inspired economists, educators and politicians around the globe. Closer to home, the Ontario government’s recent move to full-day kindergarten can also be traced to Mustard’s influence…. Mustard died Wednesday after being diagnosed with cancer of the ureter, and only days before the third part of the Early Years report was to be released. He had just turned 84 last month."
ON: Education Minister Defends Province’s Child-Care Spending
Source: National Post, November 16, 2011
Excerpt: "This week, Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti demanded the McGuinty government step in with $123-million in funding to avoid a child-care crisis in Toronto. He blamed provincial subsidies that have not kept pace with inflation, plus an all-day kindergarten program that forces daycares to retrofit their centres to cater to younger children, for the incoming financial problems. In a statement to the National Post, Ontario's Education Minister fired back, urging Councillor Mammoliti to recognize how much money the provincial has poured into child care...."
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Toronto, ON: City Child Care Task Force Asks Province for $74.4 Million
Source: Toronto Star, November 14, 2011
Excerpt: "The City of Toronto needs another $74.4 million from the province or more than 2,000 daycare spaces will have to be closed, the mayor’s task force on child care has found. And that’s only a Band-Aid solution… To stabilize the system, the city needs $123 million to cover an increase in the cost of living and pay for thousands of unfunded spaces the city subsidizes. “This is not an issue that the City of Toronto can solve locally. This is a situation created by the province and is one that can only be resolved by the province,” said Mammoliti."
Just Who’s Looking After Your Kids?
Source: Toronto Star, November 12, 2011
Excerpt: "Not long ago, Torontonians were horrified to hear about the child-care centre in Markham where three young toddlers took a self-directed field trip to a nearby Shoppers Drug Mart. None of the adults who were supposedly looking after these children noticed they were missing. The media coverage that followed revealed that parents of the children attending this centre had no idea about the quality of care their children received. One of the parents was even a pediatrician. This incident highlights what we now know from research: that despite their best intentions, parents cannot tell good quality care from bad...."
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Full-Day K. A Blow to Child-Care Centres
Source: Standard Freeholder (ON), November 11, 2011
Excerpt: "The implementation of full-day kindergarten has impacted child care centres across Ontario, and one local centre shared their frustration during a visit by government officials this week. During a tour of several child care sites, Assistant Deputy Minister of Education Jim Grieve visited Heart of the Family — a 24-hour child care centre on Eighth Street — to talk with the facility's board of directors…. With the opportunity to make more than $20 an hour working at a local school, Stepdenson said child care centres are finding it difficult to compete to keep valuable staff and keep child care prices affordable for families."
It’s Time for the Ontario Government to Deliver on Child Care
Source: CRRU, November 11, 2011
Excerpt: "Those of us who regularly Google "child care Ontario" can't help but notice the growing number of local news items that describe the pandemonium threatening child care across the province. This includes not only last week's major report from Toronto Children's Services but news items in local media outlets in Waterloo, Ottawa, Parry Sound, Cambridge, Sudbury, Sault Ste Marie, Cornwall (and probably others that I haven't seen). These calculate coming centre closures and cuts, exploding parent fees, burgeoning space and subsidy waiting lists, centre vacancies in high need neighbourhoods while children go un-served-all the signs of a collapsing child care free-market that doesn't work. It's time for the Ontario government to step up to prevent this from continuing."
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ON: Move Toward School Board Child-Care Program Deserves Applause
Source: The Record (Waterloo, ON), November 8, 2011
Excerpt: "The Waterloo Region District School Board is to be congratulated for establishing innovative seamless day programs for children and their families. The school board is demonstrating leadership that is in keeping with international developments in early learning. Canada needs more of this ambition and innovation in its education programs. Unlike most jurisdictions, the Waterloo and Ottawa school boards both realize that high quality child care does much more than simply provide care. It enhances early brain development, creates future learning opportunities, provides supports to families, and builds programs designed to meet the needs of children with special educational needs. We hope others will follow their lead."
ON: Waterloo Shows the Way
Source: Toronto Star, November 7, 2011
Excerpt: "Across Ontario there are 4- and 5-year-olds already benefiting from full-day kindergarten. With next year's expansion, nearly half of all kindergarten kids will have access to this impressive program. But things are not better for many of their working parents, whose day begins before the school bell rings and doesn’t finish until well after the last class is over. Waiting lists for licensed child-care centres are as long as ever. Child-care fees have not come down. And kids continue to be shuffled back and forth between separate child-care providers and teachers despite the turmoil it creates in families and the evidence that it isn’t what’s best for students."
ON: Seamless Benefits
Source: The Record (Waterloo, ON), November 9, 2011
Excerpt: "The editorial on the seamless day being offered in Waterloo Region elementary schools is short on facts. The fact is the seamless day is based on research into child development and early learning. Charles Pascal recommended the seamless day to the government for the establishment of full-day kindergarten. The seamless day was required by the original early learning legislation, and it was under this legislation that the seamless day was introduced locally...."
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AB: Redford’s Promised Daycare Tax Break Proposal on Hold
Source: Calgary Herald, November 8, 2011
Excerpt: "The Tory government won’t move immediately on Premier Alison Redford’s leadership campaign promise of tax breaks to spur the creation of new daycare spaces. During the recent Progressive Conservative leadership race, Redford promised to offer a 10-year corporate tax exemption for daycare operators and a personal tax exemption for owners and employees to help expand the number of daycare spots in the province.... "That’s something we need to have a longer-term design look at. That would be the year-cycle, rather than the three-month cycle,” he said. The government is focused on solidifying existing programs to boost daycare spots, the minister said."
ON: New Minister Pushes Dual Daycare
Source: Ottawa Citizen, November 7, 2011
Excerpt: 'Ontario's new Education Minister says school boards should work with third-party childcare providers to implement the extended day program as part of the province's full-day kindergarten initiative. "I know in my own community and in the conversations I had across the province, many, many parents pointed to providers like the Y, like others, and said, 'We need them to continue that important role,'" said Laurel Broten. "And I believe they have a really important role to play as a partner with us in delivering that wraparound day." The minister, appointed last month to replace Leona Dombrowsky, who was defeated in the Oct. 6 provincial election, made the comments Saturday at a conference in Toronto organized by the advocacy group People for Education."
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Offer Seamless Day for Kids, Reluctant School Boards Told
Source: Toronto Star, November 5, 2011
Excerpt: “Research, not rhetoric, is what reluctant school boards need when debating the merits of running before- and after-school programs, says Ontario’s early learning advisor. “Instead of having this bun fight with school boards and third-party operators. . . let’s just look at the evidence over time — over five, six or seven years and let parents experience the alternative,” says Charles Pascal….. Pascal, who met privately with Toronto public school board trustees last week on the issue, hopes they will agree to pilot extended day programs in at least 30 of the 191 schools that will be offering full-day kindergarten next year."
Kids Thrive in 'Seamless Day of Learning'
Source: Toronto Star, November 5, 2011
Excerpt: "For parents like Cruickshank, the ability to communicate with their children’s school team of teachers and ECEs at the start and end of the working day sets school-run extended day programs apart.... "When someone walks in cold at 3:30, they wouldn’t know if little Jimmy’s had a sore tummy earlier in the day or if somebody’s fish has died or another’s mother had a baby," Tonner says. "A third party doesn’t have the whole story. Personally, I think that is huge." Before- and after-school programming run by schools and funded with parent fees and subsidies was part of Pascal’s ambitious 2009 blueprint to expand kindergarten from a half-day to a full-day learning experience. But Waterloo Region District School Board is one of just a handful of Ontario boards delivering extended day programming as part of all-day kindergarten."
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Children in the Garden: The Benefits of Full-Day Kindergarten Too Many to Ignore
Source: Calgary Herald, November 5, 2011
Excerpt: "With Alberta expected to lead the nation in job growth over the next 20 years, industry is once again grappling with a workforce shortage of up to 77,000 workers by 2019, according to some estimates. Solutions include everything from immigration to better employee retention and incentive programs. Here's another idea - if we need skilled workers, why not grow more of our own? Premier Alison Redford's campaign pledge for full-day kindergarten might seem like a nebulous solution that's a long way off.... These are valid concerns. Yet, by almost every measure over the last 20 years, from repeated OECD reports to the 2003 Alberta Commission on Learning, as well as from leading international experts such as Canada's Dr. Fraser Mustard, the long-term benefits of early childhood education and full-day kindergarten are too many to ignore."
Toronto Daycare Spaces at Risk: Report
Source: cbc.ca, November 4, 2011
Excerpt: "It may be an unintended side effect of the province's move to all-day kindergarten —but Toronto could lose thousands of daycare spots unless the province comes up with increased funding. A new report prepared for the Toronto community development and recreation committee says the repercussions of the province's plan to shift all four and five year olds to full-day kindergartens by 2014 could mean a loss of subsides, child care spaces and increased costs to parents. The report says more than half the childcare centres — many in Toronto's poorest neighbourhoods — could shut their doors unless more money is provided by Queen's Park."
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NB: Early Childhood Development Program Heralded
Source: Times and Transcript (NB), November 4, 2011
Excerpt : "Former lieutenant-governor Margaret McCain says an early childhood development pilot program now in its final year should be rolled out across New Brunswick and become part of the province's education system. Nine Early Childhood Development Centres are in their final year of a three-year project which aims to integrate child care and a variety of other services together to better prepare youngsters for their first steps into school.... "My hope and my expectation is that it will go forward," McCain said. "Our vision is to build the education system down to younger ages. "What we know now is that they need more brain stimulation and that's not to say we are 'schoolifying' younger children. It's structured learning while they play that has proven benefits.""
An Alternate Approach to Stop School Bullying: Fix the Victims
Source: The Atlantic (US), November 2, 2011
Excerpt: "A new study in the journal Child Development aims to correct this imbalance. Instead of asking why bullies bully, scientists led by University of Illinois psychology professor Karen D. Rudolph are beefing up the coping side of bullying research by looking into why victims retaliate, ignore, or repair relationships after an attack. Through a series of surveys to 373 second-graders and their teachers, they investigated how each child approached and valued his or her peer relationships, how many of the children had been bullied, and how they responded to such attacks."
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ON: Daycares Face Full-Day Kindergarten Squeeze
Source: Sault Star (ON), November 2, 2011
Excerpt: "Daycare centres say full-day kindergarten and the lure of higher pay and better benefits are taking away their early-childhood educators and they want the province to step in with higher subsidies.... "The wages are higher and they get the whole summer off," which is something private centres can't offer, said McDonald....Tracy Saarikoski, president of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care and executive director of Sudbury's Teddy Bear Day Care, said the problem is provincewide.'
SK: Licensing First Step to Daycare Reform
Source: Star Phoenix (SK), November 2, 2011
Excerpt: "It's a shocking reality. Right now in Saskatchewan, anyone can open an unlicensed daycare without submitting to a criminal record check or adhering to basic health and safety standards, such as installing a working smoke detector, providing adequate, child-friendly space or safely storing medications. Saskatchewan has the smallest number of licensed child-care spaces of any province in Canada - around 11,000 compared to 30,000 in Manitoba, and enough regulated spaces for only one in five children under six."
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Commission on the Reform of Ontario's Public Services
Source: Government of Ontario
Excerpt: "Ontario is moving forward with the commission that will provide advice on how to deliver the most efficient and effective public services possible for people and families. Carol Stephenson, Susan Pigott and Dominic Giroux are joining Chair Don Drummond as members of the Commission on the Reform of Ontario's Public Services. Building on reforms already underway, the commission is examining the way government delivers services to people, including the following: programs that are no longer serving their intended purpose and could be eliminated or redesigned; areas of overlap and duplication that could be eliminated to save taxpayer dollars; and areas of value in the public sector that could provide a greater return on the investment made by taxpayers."
AB: Cost of $200M Could Stall Full-Day Kindergarten
Source: Calgary Herald, November 1, 2011
Excerpt: "The Redford government is pushing for a longer school day for the province's smallest students -- but the estimated price tag of around $200 million may be the biggest stumbling block for full-day kindergarten in Alberta. Premier Alison Redford promised during the recent Progressive Conservative leadership campaign she would implement full-day kindergarten within a year. In an interview, Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk said the government won’t guarantee full-time kindergarten will be implemented by the start of the next school year, in September."
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'Generational War' Seen as U.S. Debt Panel May Target Children's Programs
Source: Bloomberg.com (US), October 31, 2011
Excerpt: "The elderly will likely be the most vulnerable Americans in Washington's future budget fights. Right now, their grandchildren may be among the biggest casualties. With Democrats and the 37 million-member AARP seniors' lobby working to protect Medicare and Social Security, and Republicans opposing tax increases to curb the deficit, programs for young people may be disproportionate targets if negotiators can't reach a budget deal and automatic spending cuts kick in."
ON: Board Needs to OK Hybrid Care Model
Source: Ottawa Citizen, October 31, 2011
Excerpt: "A recommendation for Ottawa's public school board to work with third-party child care providers may look like a victory on paper, but some now say the devil is in the details. After months of discussion and three public consultation meetings, board staff — in a report released Friday — say the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board should proceed with a hybrid model. That means the OCDSB will operate the extended day program in schools where no program currently exists and, where there is a school-based child care program already in place, the current provider will be given the chance to partner with the OCDSB to offer the program."
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Generation Squeeze's Seismic Shift
Source: Vancouver Sun, October 30, 2011
Excerpt: "The dialogue featured Warren Beach, CFO of Sierra Systems, speaking… about the price paid by Canadian business because of the squeeze on the generation raising young kids. As an employer, Warren spoke of his frustration at losing talented employees, many with multiple degrees and years of on-the-job training. Why did they leave? Because they couldn’t find or afford quality child care services to help them balance enough time at home. Warren and two chartered accountants joined forces with my team to estimate what it costs companies when employees leave a job. Their experience shows it’s expensive — between 115 and 154 per cent of the annual salary earned by the departing employee."
ON: Don't Mess with People's Childcare
Source: Ottawa Citizen, October 29, 2011
Excerpt: "Anyone who thinks childcare is a relatively minor issue might think again after watching the uproar over a proposal by Ottawa's biggest school board to rethink the way it delivers before-and after-school care.... Childcare is an emotional issue, understandably. For many parents, it is the linchpin that holds their home and work lives together. That is why some are willing to spend nights lining up out in the cold in order to get their children into good-quality after-school programs."
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ON: Plan Could Force Daycare Centres to Close, Trustee Says
Source: The Record (Waterloo, ON), October 28, 2011
Excerpt: "A public school board trustee is worried some local daycare centres may be forced out of business if the Waterloo Region District School Board goes ahead with plans to take over before- and after-school programs.... At a school board meeting this week, trustee Cindy Watson raised concerns the board's plan means the daycare centres may not have enough revenue left to continue operating its all-day program for toddlers.... She's also concerned the board's program will cost parents more money, because of higher wage requirements."
ON: Rally at Queen's Park for Day Care Centres Facing Closure
Source: InsideToronto, October 27, 2011
Excerpt: "It seems unbelievable, Andrea Calver said Thursday outside the Ontario Legislature: here are two Toronto childcare centres in neighbourhoods where parents need places to put their children. And yet, more than half their spaces for children are unused, and within weeks these day cares in Scarborough and St. Jamestown may close for good."
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QC: Children Left Behind
Source: La Presse (QC), September 29, 2011
Full article translated from French:
"We've always given top priority to creating childcare spaces in disadvantaged communities," I was told last week, to my great surprise, by Yolanda James, Minister of Family Affairs.
The Minister was responding to my questions following a report in La Presse which addressed favouritism in daycare centres. These $7-a-day spaces are not for sale, she said referring to centres which reserved spots for company employees in exchange for $5,000.
Minister James is right to qualify this practice as unacceptable. However, I would have liked her to find it equally unacceptable that children from disadvantaged communities remain those least likely to attend stimulating daycare centres, despite being those with the most to gain from them. This is a much more serious problem than favouritism on waiting lists.
Since the introduction of reduced-contribution daycare in 1997, one of the main objectives of the programme has been supporting the development of children from disadvantaged communities and promoting equal opportunities for all children. Research clearly shows that access to good childcare can work miracles in terms of a vulnerable child's development. Curbing school dropout rates begins in early childhood.
Unfortunately, these vulnerable children are often left behind by the current childcare system. There is a huge gulf between the official discourse which talks about making those most in need a 'priority,' and the current reality. That gulf is full of short-term political choices, paradoxes and misunderstandings.
In theory, the current system claims to promote childcare access for disadvantaged children. In reality, however, efforts made to do so remain weak. "All we have is the famous 5% of spaces which are theoretically reserved for families in vulnerable situations, stipulated in the voluntary agreements between the local CLSC and the daycare centres," notes Nathalie Bigras, Professor of the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Department of Education and an early childhood education specialist. And when you consider that in certain neighbourhoods of Montreal, for example, over 40% of families are at risk, 5%, is very little.
Theoretically, the government always promises to create new childcare spaces in disadvantaged areas. But the question we've got to ask is what type of spaces these are, says Christa Japel, professor of the Department of Education and Specialized Training at the UQAM. "If you look at the spaces which have been promised lately, you'll see that they are mostly in family childcare settings and in for-profit daycare centres. This is problematic because these spaces are of a lower quality than those in daycare centres, notes Ms. Japel, co-author of a troubling study which reveals the poor quality of a large number of Quebec's childcare services.
Yet we know that quality is not a minor detail, particularly for the most vulnerable children. "Without quality, a good learning environment and trained staff who are receiving adequate support, we’ll never close the gap between these children and children from privileged backgrounds," notes Christa Japel. "In the current structure, I don't think we’re meeting the needs of the most vulnerable children."
Beyond the disparity between theory and practice, there is also a big misunderstanding about the very function of preschool education. What exactly is the purpose of daycare centres? Ask that question and you’ll no doubt get an answer which hides a key point: the main purpose of a daycare centre is to look after children while their parents are at work.
Yet that is not primary purpose of a daycare centre, a term which is a misnomer, according to Sylvana Côté, Professor of the Department of Social and Preventative Medicine of l'Université de Montréal. The first aim of such centres is to stimulate the child, to promote his/her social development and to help him/her gain community living skills. From a practical point of view, a stimulating daycare centre can be very helpful for children of working parents. From an educational point of view, such centres are even more beneficial for children from marginalised communities whose parents don’t work.
"At first, the aim was to provide equal opportunities for all," recalls Nathalie Bigras. "Later on, the priority shifted to helping balance work and family life. We've lost sight of the first objective which was, as Camil Bouchard said, the development of the child."
How can we clear up this major misunderstanding? According to Sylvana Côté, it's by making preschool truly universal. By making it mandatory? Not necessarily, says the professor. She explains that kindergarten isn't mandatory and yet, "people no longer debate whether or not to send their child to kindergarten. They did at first though. If there is real access, and the quality of services is good, it happens naturally."
She observes that over time specific measures have made daycare more accessible for vulnerable children. But that’s not enough. "There is no comprehensive strategy."
Only a comprehensive strategy would make our daycare programme truly universal and fair. It’s true that it would be very expensive. But, rather than ask what it would cost to do it, Sylvana Côté suggests, we have to turn the question around and ask, what are the costs of not doing it?
Read the original in French>
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