One of the most important issues in relation to Canadian families today is the debate over how the federal government should proceed with childcare reforms. It is my opinion that a universal early childhood education and care program (ECEC) is undeniably in the best interest of both Canadian families, as well as the country as a whole. I will attempt to prove this by contrasting Canada Needs an Early Childhood Education and Care Program by Michael Krashinsky, who advocates for an ECEC program, and Equal Benefit to Children: What it Really Means by Beverley Smith, who instead supports a universal tax credit for families to allow them to pursue whichever form of care that they feel is best. This paper will continue with further critical analysis, …show more content…
She points to how only one type of care would receive funding. Instead, she believes a more fair system would give parents a variety of options to meet their needs. In turn, she claims that many parents do not want to use licensed child care facilities, to which she references the subsidized daycare program in Quebec where many parents still choose not to send their children. Rather, many families choose to hire friends or relatives to look after their kids. Smith then proceeds to criticize the studies that show a positive correlation between childcare and later educational performance that Krashinsky referenced in his argument. She argues that the only children studied were at-risk youth, and that there would inevitably be positive progress as any form of care is better than “mayhem”, and therefore cannot be used as justification for the nation as a whole. She also criticizes the notion that childcare centers are the best form of care, because they are the easiest to regulate. While they might lead to a standard level of care, this standardized treatment could lead to a lack of development. Consequently, caregivers have neither the same justification, nor interest to provide specialized care for children, which would result in the greatest possible outcome, while parents do. Thus, according to …show more content…
First, Smith’s tax credit system relies entirely on the notion that the federal government is unable to implement the universal ECEC program due to how the constitution states that social programs are supposed to fall under the jurisdiction of the provincial governments. What Smith fails to consider, however, is that the two levels of government have worked together over the previous decades to implement and finance a number of social programs. The most notable of which is Canada’s universal health care program and the Canada Health Act. While each province runs their own health care system, there are a number of requirements that they are each obliged to meet as mandated by the federal government. If they fail to do so then they will not receive any funding from the federal government to help fund their hospitals through the CHT (Canada Health Transfer). This relationship exists for a number of additional programs where funding is transferred through the CST (Canada Social Transfer). In regards to a universal ECEC program, the federal government could pass legislation mandating that each province provide ECEC care that meets a certain standard. In return, the provinces would receive funding through a transfer system similar to that of the CHT and
Smith, C. (2013, September 1). A Legacy of Canadian Child Care: Surviving the Sixties Scoop.
Many policies have shaped Canadian healthcare. In 1962, Saskatchewan enacted the Medical Care Insurance Act (MCIA). The MCIA provided coverage in the province for services provided by physicians. Physicians were allowed to bill the patient for any amount over what the government would pay. Other provinces began considered similar programs. In 1966, the federal government passed the Medical Care Act. Under this act physician services were covered under programs administered at the provincial level. The fees were split at a 50% rate between the federal and provincial governments. Another act, known as the Hospital Act allowed the provinces to develop their own health plans. Some provinces took a more inflexible approach to billing. After these acts were implemente...
Universal Preschool exists as a program intended to allow free universal Preschool to all four-year-old children, regardless of their family’s financial situation. The particular video explores both sides of the argument, clearly showing that the program has its pros and cons. One concept against Universal Preschool I found interesting is the impact it would have on licensed home care providers. By requiring them to have credentials to teach preschool aged children, many individuals, woman in particular, would be left without a reliable income. I selected this concept because I have not decided if I would like to use my Associates in Early Childhood Education to become an assistant preschool school teacher or if opening a licensed home care facility would be a wiser decision. In other words, by requiring credentials to teach all ages 4 and up, I would be forced to further my education before being allowed to work with preschool children, which, consequently, would limit my income for several more
Prochner, L. & Howe, N. (2000). Early Childhood Care and Education in Canada. Vancouver & Toronto: UBC Press.
An analysis of the US and Canada’s systems reveals advantages and drawbacks within each structure. While it is apparent that both countries could benefit from the adoption of portions of the others system, Canada’s healthcare system offers several benefits over the US system.
Meyers, M.K. & Gornick, J.C. (2003). Public or private responsibility? Early childhood education and care, inequality, and the welfare state. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 34, 379-411.
... child in daycare if they are poor. My opinion as a well-read psychology student that no matter what day care or childcare you put your infant in it does not matter if the same things are implemented in the household. The effect is need in both environments for the child to excel beyond the point of children without this opportunity.
As a means to ensure a thorough and comprehensive comparative analysis is achieved between Canada and Sweden’s childcare policies, it is essential that I provide a social welfare regime framework for each country. I will begin by describing the three different types of welfare states, as well as provide an overview of how four key spheres interrelate within the operations of welfare regimes. Welfare state can be defined as the government’s action or inaction to support, protect (or control) citizens ...
Over time, the debate of childcare issue within the Canadian public policy context has been raging. Rise in the media attention of the social issue of childcare policy in Canada concentrates on the relationship and coordination among the federal, provincial, and territorial governments in addressing the social issue (Finkel, 20013). According to Lewis Steven of The Star Canada News Agency, childcare is one of the priorities the Canadian Federal Government need to consider when designing its social policies. According to Lewis (2013), the Canadian Federal Government needs to consider the safety net income as an important factor contributing to affordable childcare services in the country. In Canada, parents or members of extended family have the responsibility of providing childcare services without the consideration of family net income. However, outside the family, there are many childcare providers operating as private individuals or agencies. Such childcare providers operate as private businesses.
Early childhood education, although constantly evolving, was actually established and practiced as early on as the times of Ancient Greece and Rome. The foundation that early childhood education is based upon is to instill in children the skills needed to succeed later on in life, while making sure young children enjoy their time in schooling. Throughout chapter 3 in the textbook Who Am I in the Lives of Children, the reader is capable of evaluating just how greatly the methods for teaching today’s youth have evolved and changed for the better.
By supporting the early years of life of an individual, a substantial effect on the outside community is achievable as they can increase their own quality of life and become a better contribution to society (Keleher and MacDougall, 2011). A plan such as The National Early Childhood Development Strategy would be effective the strategy aims to ensure children are born healthy, their environments allow for progress and children that are disadvantaged by social or economic factors are given equal life chances. Current economic plans exist to assist this strategy, such as funding for a family support program and a child support system. To further progress the strategy, steps until 2020 have are already mapped they aim to address the inequities and inequalities by supporting vulnerable children, promoting the importance of early life to parents and to improve childhood infrastructure. Overall the strategy attempts to minimize the disadvantages children will have by being born into unjust social and economic settings. The strategy on a downstream level requires parents to gain insight on how important early life is. On a midstream level, it requires the environment that an individual grows up in is adequate in providing the best possible education, transport and health system and services. On an upstream level, the
While walking through the front gates of County elementary school, you see children of all ages playing while they wait for the school bell to ring. Walking to the classroom that I will be observing you see students with their parent’s line up waiting to get signed in. The students are to be signed in by a parent or guardian for safety precautions, and shows that the child was signed into school. As a visitor, I am to sign myself in, this shows I was in the classroom, at what time was I there, and reason for visiting the classroom.
Demonstrate a strong understanding of current Australian early childhood education and care reform agenda in Australia since 2007. The Australian ECE and care reform agenda was initiated, in 2007, due to a concern for the wellbeing and increasingly poor outcomes for children in several key areas. Evidence confirmed the importance and impact of a child’s health, well-being, development and learning in the early years, therefore the need for an NQF and NQS was initiated. The impact of social change over recent decades has shown families struggling to function and aid in their child’s development.
Curriculum is the organized framework that explains the content that children are to learn, the processes through which children achieve the identified curricular goals, what teachers do to help children achieve these goals and the context in which teaching and learning occur. The best curriculum for early childhood teacher is developmentally appropriate curriculum that allows teachers to set-up an effective learning environment for children.
Preschool programs began in the United States during the first quarter of the twentieth century with the first public preschool opening in 1925 in Chicago at Franklin School. After the 1970s the popularity of preschools increased as women were entering the workforce and people believed that children needed initial skills before they attended elementary school. (“All About Preschools, History…”2).