The CRRU’s latest research COVID-19 and childcare in Canada: A tale of ten provinces and three territories was published in the Journal of Childhood Studies using data from their survey on Canadian Childcare they conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic 1.
The paper examines the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic’s first wave on Canadian childcare. The research shows how limited public funding and reliance on fees from parents made childcare unsustainable when these centers closed. The lack of public resources caused financial stress and uncertainty among childcare centres even in provinces were childcare funding is more robust (Friendly et al 2021). Some of the key themes that the paper highlights include: the vulnerability of the childcare system in Canada which was exacerbated by COVID; the flawed financing mechanisms most childcares rely on – parents fees; and how that contributed to the trade-off between decent pay for the childcare staff and affordable fees for parents (Friendly et al 2021). One of the key takeaways identified by the authors is the political opportunity created by the pandemic to recognize the importance of having a strong, equitable and publicly funded childcare across Canada and implement policy to achieve it (Friendly et al 2021).
Childcare Canada has also compiled resources related to research on the following themes:
Women, child care and the economy
Child care and COVID-19 in Canada
COVID- 19 Reopening child care and schools
Project Lead
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Martha Friendly
Activist