Supporting National Daycare is Fiscally Responsible.

I have a child in daycare.  I work full time.  My husband has the same child in daycare and he also works full time.  So we pay a lot of money for our child to be in daycare.  Our child loves it and the teachers love him and teach him great things.

My husband and I are lucky we make enough money at our jobs and have low enough expenses that we can afford the cost of daycare.  Others are not as lucky.  My salary covered the costs of daycare.  Leaving my husband to cover, mortgage, bills, repairs and food. It was tight for a while but worth it.  The cost went down somewhat as said child changed from being a toddler to a preschooler.

Why is it worth it you ask, for a couple of reasons.  Our son is more social than an only child can be satisfied with at home which means play groups and activities in addition to the services that are available through the city and the library.  These cost more money than one already stretched salary can pay for.  I can hear you chirping about the free services.  Those are great services and well used and paid for by taxes, like a national daycare program would be.  Although probably some of the taxes for the library are municipal but that it just confusing the issue.

It was also worth it because the money we spent on day care went to paying a good wage to its employees.  By my going to work I make an income that I spend and pay taxes, so does my husband.  By paying people to take excellent compassionate care of my child they are making an income that they spend and paying taxes.

Let's say that what we pay for daycare allows 1 person a job.  That is 3 people paying taxes and spending money in Canada.  If I don't go to work then it is only 1 person.  Just to reiterate 3 is more than 1 and pays for more hospitals, roads, library programs etc.

No one who would call themselves fiscally responsible would say that 1 person paying taxes is better than 3 so that leaves us with why do you really not want national daycare?  It is clearly not because you have Canada's interest or children's interest at heart.  Or you would inherently want as many tax payers as possible, there is only one thing left.  You are not interested in helping people who can't afford daycare get it (there are already subsidies thankfully) and you don't women to be working.

This is why when you say "we don't need national daycare" what you are really saying is "women should not work outside the home."

Elizabeth