The Waiting Game: A Critical Analysis of Childcare Waiting Lists in Winnipeg Michelle Albl A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Manitoba In partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree MASTER OF ARTS Department of Sociology University of Manitoba Winnipeg Copyright © 2012 by Michelle Albl Library and Archives Bibliothèque et Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de l'édition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-84962-0 Our file Notre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-84962-0 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant à la Bibliothèque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par télécommunication ou par l'Internet, prêter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des thèses partout dans le loan, distrbute and sell theses monde, à des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non- support microforme, papier, électronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. 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Abstract Winnipeg is a city with high rates of child poverty, a high Aboriginal population, and a chronic shortage of childcare spaces. Some neighbourhoods have more and better services than others – yet all areas of the city have long waiting lists for childcare services. In some municipal wards, prospective parent users will face a delay of between one and four years for a childcare space. This thesis interrogates the distribution of childcare spaces and childcare waitlists throughout the city, showing how waitlists and services systematically differ between more and less affluent wards, and by wards with higher and lower percentages of Aboriginal families. These findings are particularly important for public policy. Manitoba has developed a new on-line centralized registration and waitlist system that was launched in Brandon, Manitoba in the fall of 2010. The provincial government has declared it will use this centralized data to guide the funding and expansion of new childcare services. A close examination of waitlist and services in Winnipeg, however, strongly predicts an unintended outcome: rather than promoting more and better access to childcare services, the provincial registration and waitlist strategy is more likely to result in a further maldistribution of access and service, reproducing an existing socio-economic gradient that particularly disadvantages Aboriginal and low-income parents. 2 Acknowledgements First I would like to extend my gratitude to those who helped make this project possible, the Child Daycare office for providing me with the list of centres in Winnipeg and especially to all of the centre staff that took time out of their hectic days to answer my telephone survey. I would like to thank my committee members for their assistance, advice and the time they took to help me in completing my thesis. I thank Dr. Sonia Bookman, Department of Sociology, who always had an encouraging word, Dr. Sid Frankel, Faculty of Social Work, whose input in particular helped to create a clearer understanding of my research and allowed me to produce an enhanced presentation for some of my data, and my advisor Dr. Susan Prentice, Department of Sociology, who has been with me throughout this long and arduous process. I am also honoured to thank the following people for their constant support and encouragement throughout this academic journey. My incredible family and friends who always believed in me even when I did not, for listening when I was overwhelmed, and for constantly checking in with me to see how I was doing, especially when I was not sure I would make it through. A special note of gratitude to Shauna Harder whose never-ending encouragement, support and expertise in "how to get through a Master's thesis" enabled me to continue on countless occasions. Finally, I would like to thank Todd and Rachel for their continued love and support and who have seen me through the best and worst of this seemingly never-ending thesis, and to Daisy for being my constant companion while writing this thesis. Michelle Albl 3 Table of Contents ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................... 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................. 4 CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................ 7 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 7 RATIONALE AND SIGNIFICANCE ................................................................................................................ 10 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM ................................................................................................................. 11 ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS .................................................................................................................. 14 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................. 16 CHAPTER TWO ......................................................................................................................... 18 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ...................................................................................................................... 18 UNDERSTANDING WELFARE REGIMES ...................................................................................................... 22 SOCIAL EQUALITY IN CANADA’S LIBERAL WELFARE STATE .................................................................... 28 RACIALIZATION OF POVERTY .................................................................................................................... 30 OVERVIEW OF CHILDCARE: POLICY CHANGES AND FUNDING ..................................................................... 31 SOCIAL BENEFITS FROM CHILDCARE: FOR CHILDREN, FOR FAMILIES, FOR WOMEN, FOR SOCIETY .............. 35 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................. 37 CHAPTER THREE ..................................................................................................................... 39 METHODOLOGY......................................................................................................................................... 39 RESEARCH DESIGN .................................................................................................................................... 39 SURVEY INSTRUMENT ............................................................................................................................... 40 POPULATION.............................................................................................................................................. 41 GEOGRAPHY .............................................................................................................................................. 42 ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................................................. 48 SURVEY CODING FOR ESTIMATED TIME FOR SPACE .................................................................................. 50 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................. 53 CHAPTER FOUR ........................................................................................................................ 54 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF CHILDCARE SERVICES IN WINNIPEG............................................................... 54 WINNIPEG CHILDREN AND ABORIGINALITY ............................................................................................... 61 WINNIPEG CHILDREN AND POVERTY ......................................................................................................... 63 CHAPTER