Introduction tive fields — and they are rarely coordi- Throughout the 1980s, Manitoba was rec- nated or coherent. ognized as a Canadian leader in childcare. Why does it matter that childcare is In 1987, University of Alberta researcher uncoordinated and has eroded? To Mani- Dr. Chris Badgley declared that “Mani- toba’s 22,112 children and their families toba has the best system of training and who use licensed childcare, the erosion daycare in North America.”2 means poor access and worsened quality If he were commenting on Manitoba’s for expensive service. To the nearly 2,600 childcare system today, Dr. Badgley early childhood educators who work in would be unlikely to laud Manitoba’s this province, the decade has been marked childcare system so effusively. After as- by a staggering drop in real income. The sessing the changes that have occurred estimated 175,000 Manitoban children over the decade, observers must conclude who do not have access lose out on the that Manitoba’s childcare system has lost many documented benefits of early child- significant ground. We no longer qualify hood care and education. Increasing num- as the national leader we once were. bers of parents report difficulties juggling Moreover, Dr. Badgley also would be the conflicting demands of work or edu- unlikely to use the term “daycare.” cation and home. Women’s equality is Among policy analysts and early child- compromised when services are unavail- hood educators, the term has generally able/unaffordable, or when their care-giv- been replaced with “childcare” or “early ing labour as childcare staff is systemati- childhood care and education.” This shift cally under-paid. There are labour-mar- is more than semantic: it acknowledges ket consequences when childcare is una- that a collection of services, including vailable — absenteeism rises and produc- nursery schools, kindergarten, “daycare,” tivity drops for working parents who do recreation, developmental and other not have reliable childcare.3 Parents who forms of assistance are part of the pack- can’t find or afford good childcare are age of care that helps children flourish. barred from finding and keeping jobs. In But these various services belong to short, the fate of childcare matters to chil- widely separated policy and administra- A Decade of Decline: Regulated Child Care in Manitoba, 1989 - 1999 1 dren, parents, workers, families, women, Unquestionably, childcare is an impor- employers and society. tant aspect of economic and employment Child care is a public good, according policy. The National Council of Welfare to experts from economics, health, edu- claims that “good child care makes an cation, social services and social perspec- enormous difference in the ability of poor tives.4 Research shows that high quality families to find and keep jobs.” But, as child care enhances all children’s healthy they also point out: development, is a support to all families Any social policy that is serious about supporting regardless of their labour force status, and children and families must have child care at its is a precondition for women’s equality. centre..... Good early childhood education has Child care promotes school readiness, enormous benefits for children, their families and their communities... Preventing problems and en- helps build healthy communities, helps suring that children have the best possible start reduce poverty, creates jobs, facilitates early development makes good economic economic self-reliance, contributes to the sense....Many social programs support families but child care is the backbone of them all.8 life-long good health of children, and aids in the building of safer communities. Re- According to public opinion polls, Ca- searchers also point out that inclusive nadians consistently support child care. early childhood services strengthen ap- A 1998 poll conducted by Environics for preciation for diversity and promote eq- the Canadian Policy Research Network uity among classes, levels of ability, racial found 76% of Canadians believe a child and ethnic groups, and generations, care system should be available for all strengthening social solidarity.5 families, with the costs shared by govern- These observations extend the older ments and families.9 In 1992, Decima Re- view that “daycare” is primarily a labour search found only 15% of Canadians were market issue. In 1984, the Winnipeg So- against increased federal spending on cial Planning Council could easily argue childcare.10 that the level of demand for day care “is Canadians have good reason to sup- primarily a function of the number of chil- port public investment in childcare. Re- dren of preschool and early school age cent economics studies demonstrate that whose mothers or sole-support fathers are $2 of social benefits flow from every $1 in the labour force or attending school.”6 invested in childcare.11 The Vancouver Today, experts from widely divergent Board of Trade has weighed in on this fields — including population health, law matter, concluding that “the economic enforcement, economics and business — payback” from investing in early child- are converging on an understanding that hood care “is spectacular.”12 The National quality early childhood care and educa- Council of Welfare concludes that “early tion programs provide significant and childhood education should be at the very demonstrable benefits for all children.7 top of the agenda for public investments.” 2 Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives–Manitoba Childcare in Manitoba number of spaces currently available.16 Unfortunately, because of gender bi- 1989 - 1999 ases in how data are kept, we do not know the comparable rates of employment for Introduction fathers. Aside from the tiny number of men who are known to be at home on Childcare service may take place in leave with newborn or newly adopted group centres or private homes; may be children — about 3-4% of those on leave all-day or part-day, full or part-week; may — we have little data about fathers’ work/ be full or part-year; may be paid for di- family patterns.17 rectly by parents or may be subsidized by In Manitoba, there is a licensed government. Services may be used for childcare space for about one in 10 chil- child enrichment, because parents work, dren under the age of 12 years (1998). study or are otherwise engaged, or to meet From a national perspective, Manitoba’s social, cognitive or other developmental access is close to the Canadian average. needs. For a fee, children from infancy to But our performance falls short of that age 12 are eligible to use one of Manito- offered by many other jurisdictions. For ba’s 22,112 licensed childcare spaces. example, in the fifteen member states of Most analysts agree that Manitoba has the European Union, between 75 - 99% of an insufficient supply of licensed care, al- all preschool children aged three to six though they may disagree on how much years are in educational childcare pro- expansion is needed. It is far from simple grams, whether or not their parents are to determine how many licensed childcare employed.18 This policy approach is not spaces are needed. restricted to European countries. Children in Quebec are also entitled to early child- How much childcare does Manitoba hood care and education, regardless of need? their parents’ activity. British Columbia is also moving toward universal entitlement The provision of licensed child care to childcare. If need were assessed by Eu- spaces lags far behind estimates of child ropean Union, Quebec or emerging BC 13 care needs in all provinces. Over a dec- standards, Manitoba would require close ade ago, the Manitoba Task Force on Child to 195,700 spaces — about ten times the Care noted there was a “severe shortage” number of spaces currently available. of licensed childcare spaces in Manitoba.14 But assessing need is far from straightfor- How much and what kind of licensed ward. care exist? In 1998, about 195,700 children under the age of 12 years lived in Manitoba, and In Manitoba, regulated childcare is a about 132,00 of them had mothers in the responsibility of the Ministry of Family 15 paid labour force. The National Coun- Services and Housing, under the Child cil of Welfare therefore concludes that Day Care Office. The province permits Manitoba should have about 132,000 two streams of licensed care: daycare cen- spaces — nearly six-and-half times the tres and family day care homes. In March A Decade of Decline: Regulated Child Care in Manitoba, 1989 - 1999 3 2000, these facilities were licensed for Manitoba’s licensed spaces: 19 22,112 spaces for children aged 0-12. 1. Day care centres provide full-day cen- Licensed spaces are best thought of as tre-based services for at least five chil- potential spaces, since not every licensed dren under six years, for more than four space is fully used. Over the past decade, continuous hours/day for three or more utilization rates have ranged from 50 - days each week. Over the decade, the 20 84% in homes and centres. Given regulation that a centre couldn’t be larger affordability and access problems, few than 70 spaces was dropped, and there facilities operate at their full capacity. is now no ceiling on maximum size. Spaces go unused when parents can’t af- ford them or when hours of service don’t 2. Nursery schools provide part-time match family needs, contradicting those programs for more than three infants or who might claim that low utilization in- five preschoolers, for up to four hours/ dicates a lack of parental interest or sup- day or for four hours or more per day port. for less than three days each week. 3. School-age child care centres provide Centre Care services outside school hours for more than eight children aged 6-12 years, and There are different types of daycare may include children attending kinder- centres providing care in Manitoba.