It can be difficult for parents to leave their child’s care in the hands of someone else, but who exactly should they be trusting when it comes to daycare services?
In Ontario, there are private licensed daycare systems, but the provincial government has been working on incorporating daycare into the public education system. The best option is a combination of the two systems.
Dalton McGuinty, premier of Ontario, has proposed full-day learning where toddlers would be in kindergarten full-time and have basic childcare available before and after school.
Some parents, especially single mothers and student parents, simply cannot afford the high prices that come with the quality care of private centers. They may even go under the table and leave their children with unlicensed care-takers.
Some parents may want to invest in the private system because they may believe in investing in higher quality care, similar to sending their child to a private school.
So it would be beneficial for all parents to accept a two-tier system.
The government should provide publicly funded daycare institutions for those who cannot afford a private option. But that private option should still be available for those who can afford it. Government still has a responsibility, of course, to ensure an private institutions meet acceptable standards.
This way, parents have the option of enrolling their child in either the public or private sectors of childcare. It’s a win-win situation.