The National Child Care Program

For decades, Canada has had the child care policy issue in its agenda. However, political
debates, discussions, and promises have left very little done concerning the matter. There are
different factors that have led the national child care issue to be raised. The high number of
women getting into the labor force leaves young children under unregulated care. Some children
do not benefit from the arrangements because the quality of care they obtain is low and poor.
However, some of the children still benefit and the parents prefer leaving them there rather than
consider such a national program of care. This paper provides summaries of two articles and
provides a personal position of the issues in the summaries.
The child care program of the federal government was developed by Ken Dryden, who
remains a strong proponent in his child care initiative. While coming up with the initiative, he
stated that it would be better if more work and time should be focused on kids rather than the
families. He also added that policy makers should understand that the success of child care
initiatives offer chances for a richer parent-child experience (Smith 406). The article provides an
argument that the national child care program provides non-parental care for the children in the
licensed facilities. There are more women in the labor force thereby creating a necessity for the
child care programs nationwide. Krashinsky argues that the issue of introducing the program
does not bring about discrimination on the stay-at-home mothers. He says that most of those

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mothers have the freedom of using the national child care program but they do not do so for
unknown reasons.
The article also presents an argument of what composes quality child care. For instance,
Douglas argues that quality child care includes the benefits that the two-year olds get in learning
simple math as well as learning to speak whereas others believe that quality care is when the
children get a stable and loving environment. Smith argues that parents should be allowed to
choose any child care arrangements they wish. She is not convinced of that non-parental and
large-scale child care programs also provide benefits for young children. She points out that
there are parents who prefer looking after their own children whereas some would also want their
children to be cared for by their relatives and neighbors. Her argument remains that parents
should be allowed to make the choice. The article also states that the Canadian government is in
the process of signing child care deals with most provinces (Smith 408).
Krashinsky argues that Canada requires to have a public program that is of high quality
and should be one that deals with early childhood education as well as care (390). He thinks that
such programs would socially and economically strengthen Canada. The following are the main
points that makes the author think of the need for childhood education and care. First is the fact
that there is a large number of mothers who have young children and still participating in the
work force (Krashinsky 391). Second, the mothers cannot stop working because they require the
income (Krashinsky 392). However, he is aware that such a program would be more expensive.
Thirdly, the author argues that the children require care while their mothers are out there working
but the available arrangements are low and of uncertain quality (393). Forth, the author makes an
argument that low quality care hurts the child and there is, therefore, a need for a care with high
quality (395). In the fifth point, the author states that the issue of quality life is more than just a

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single benefit (395). He argues that children learn become successful. Finally, a program that is
good would help women balance their family life better with their work (Krashinsky 397).
Smith argues that in the past two decades, there have been proposals for a national child
care program for Canada and the requirement for the regulation of care centers (401). Finally, the
2005 budget of the government made considerations of coming up with the system where the
federal government would work with provincial governments. Smith argues that the plan has
exaggerated the need for child care facilities and argues that they are not as necessary as
indicated. The plan aims at regulating all the existing child care arrangements. The author
clarifies that the article does not prove how wrong the government is for providing the assistance
but the argument is all about how all the children should be assisted equally both those at day
care as well as those that will be cared for at home.
The current arrangements on child care are not very professional. While women get into
their job places, they make arrangements with individuals in the neighborhood where they could
leave their children for care. Sometimes the individuals with whom the children are left do not
have the experience and the skills required to give proper care to the young ones. This provides
one reason why a more professional and regulated approach is required. A national child care
program that would have policies guiding it would provide one of the best arrangements and the
best care for children. On the issue of stay-at-home mothers providing the best child care, this is
the care that is especially common with very young children who always need to be in the hands
of their mothers. However, once they begin crawling and walking, quality care can be provided
by anyone else who may has the experience, knowledge, or skills to do so.
I believe that parents are the ones who know what their young children require. In this
case, they should be allowed to make the choice of where to take care of their children from

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home or whether to leave them in the hands of another care taker. The national child care
program should be developed throughout the country. However, the initiative does not mean that
parents should be forced on what to choose. Past child care arrangements should also remain and
the government should license them. With a wide variety to choose from, parents will know the
best one that fits their children. There are children who require to be closely monitored especially
if their growth development has an issue. Such children would benefit more if they are left with
the parent, a close relative, or neighbors instead of being taken to the non-parental child care.
Those who have normal development and require to learn speaking as well as simple math, can
be taken to the national non-parental programs.
Though the government finally decided to allocate a budget for this issue and made the
arrangements to partner with the provincial governments in 2005, the issue should have been
solved many years back. It is important even as the federal government considers various issues,
to also keep in mind that there are children to consider. A national early childhood education and
care program in Canada would be one thing to indicate that children are considered nationally.
Since there are many women in the labor force currently, child care programs would be of high
benefits to the country. Already, while the issue was still under discussion, care arrangements
were going on. The mothers would look for people they can leave their children with as they
went to work. However, I believe that they were not everywhere in the nation. I think such as
program will provide the service even to locations that they did not exist previously. It also
makes such care more affordable so that mothers can comfortably contribute in nation building.
Even though I think that a national child care is important for the nation, the policies and
regulations that would be created by the program should offer freedom to all the mothers in the
country. For instance, it would be better for a parent to be allowed the freedom of choosing

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where care for their children should be offered. Parents that like their children to be nurtured in
an environment that is home-based or one that telecommutes should be allowed to have their
way. There are parents who also like their children to be taken care of by grandmothers or
different parents. A national child care program would be better so long as the policies and
regulations allow the parents their freedom and also offers all children equal benefits.

Works Cited

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Krashinsky, Michael. “Canada Needs An Early Childhood And Care Program”. (2005): 390-405.
Print.
Smith, Beverley. “Benefit To Children: What It Really Means”. (2006): 406-409. Print.