Parents pushed out of workforce by UCP cuts

Premier Jason Kenney and the UCP government are forcing Alberta parents to leave the workforce due to their lack of support for affordable childcare.

In a letter sent on Jan. 10, the Westlock Child Care Society notified families that child care fees will be going up because the ELCC grant they received from the province to offset costs will be coming to a close. The letter also informs parents of reduced hours of operation and likely staff layoffs.

“This news means some parents will have to quit their jobs to stay home, and let’s be honest, many of them are women,” said Rakhi Pancholi, NDP Children’s Services Critic. “If Jason Kenney and the UCP are serious about parent choice and getting people back to work they should be supporting the NDP’s $25/day childcare program.

“Promises made, promises broken. The UCP is cutting support for affordable childcare and forcing parents out of the workforce to pay for its $4.7-billion corporate giveaway.”

The NDP government’s investment in high quality, affordable childcare saved families an average of $425 each month, created roughly 450 new jobs in early childhood education and enabled 1,400 parents to re-enter the workforce.

“To be clear - these centres were forced into this decision. They have been asking for information from Minister Rebecca Schulz for months,” Pancholi said. “The minister didn’t have the decency to give parents and operators the information they needed to make decisions about their lives and businesses.”