“Big-box child care is setting up shop in Canada and critics worry it will undermine quality, scuttle chances for a national daycare program and thwart provincial plans for all-day kindergarten.” » Continue reading “Toronto Star: “All-day kindergarten under threat?””
“A chain of day-care centres in Edmonton and Calgary could be the first in Canada to trade on the stock market as their Texasbased owner is now seeking a listing on the TSX Venture Exchange.” » Continue reading “Edmonton Journal: “Caring for kids goes corporate””
Just one year ago, the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care was touring Ontario sounding the alarm on for-profit, corporate child care. In community after community, we signed petitions, held community meetings and warned that early learning and child care services do not belong on the stock exchange. » Continue reading “Calgary Herald: “Alberta day-cares could be first in Canada to trade on stock market”
To learn more about:
- Status of Toronto public child care
- Why public early childhood education and child care?
- History of municipal child care centres
- Toronto’s other child care roles
Please click here for Toronto, Ontario public child care profile
A recent study said Alberta’s primarily for-profit child care system is better than the primarily not for profit systems in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Noted child care researcher Susan Prentice produced a fact sheet on the study pointing out that Alberta has higher costs for child care and lower access for low income families. In addition, she notes complaints about quality in Alberta and recent shocking information from Alberta’s Ombudsman noting 90% of complaints about quality were in the commercial sector.
To read the two page report, please click here.
On April 30th 2009 in Halifax, Canada’s largest for-profit Childcare provider, Kids and Company held an open house. Much to the dismay of CUPE and other opponents of this “Big Box” Daycare.
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA–(Marketwire – April 29, 2009) – Opponents of so-called ‘big box’ daycare will be on hand as Canada’s largest for-profit childcare provider, Kids and Company, holds an open house at its new Halifax facility.
The event will take place at 4:00 pm on Thursday, April 30 at 3260 Barrington Street (between Richmond and Hanover).
Big Box Child Care is one of the greatest fears of Early Childhood Educators (ECE’s). CUPE has helped to campaign against it by inviting keynote speakers from Australia to tour Canada and speak out against it.
Australia is where Canadian-born Eddie Groves built the largest private child care empire in the world. His company, ABC Learning, has since had to declare bankruptcy.
Kids and Company has about two dozen centres, mostly in Ontario and Alberta, and plans to open up three centres in Halifax. Their fees can be as high as $900 a month.
Short-selling; too much debt; related-party transactions; poor accounting; poor corporate governance – ahhh the langauge of child care.
The Australian Business Press has given us yet one more example of why profit and child care do not go together. Families want reliable, affordable child care. The stock market and the market place want quick profits. » Continue reading “What does short-selling have to do with child care?”
The Region of Waterloo argues that a quality assurance program called “Raising the Bar” will prevent corporate child care from coming to the community. Unfortunately, that is simply not the case. Quality assurance programs are one way that muncipalities try to make sure public funds to child care are well spent – that a child care centre has higher standards than the minimum of the Day Nursuries Act. However, considering studies have shown that, on average, not-for-profit child care is higher quality, the Region could also ensure quality by ensuring that public funding go to not-for-profit child care centres, rather than any company trying to make money off of child care as a business.
From the Chronicle: “Waterloo regional Coun. Sean Strickland, the chair of the region’s community services committee, said everyone is concerned about the big-box model of day-care delivery as established by the ABC Learning Centres in Australia. But the policies they’ve put in place have safeguards against that type of service provider coming to the community. » Continue reading “Waterloo Chronicle: Critics worried decision clears way for big-box day care”
In our recent submission to the Region of Waterloo, the OCBCC warned a new trend by for-profit child care companies to have lease-back schemes to fund the construction of new child care centres. Like all for-profit child care schemes, the companies would siphon money from child care funding for private profits. Similar schemes have been floated in Ontario and would result in increasing the role of for-profit companies in our child care system.
Shockingly, the company not only proposed to build centres, but proposed to set up another company that would operate and staff the centres.
» Continue reading “Alberta: U.S. day-care firm got cold response to building proposal”
A year ago, the OCBCC with the Ontario Federation of Labour sounded the alarm on for-profit child care by touring the Province and hosting community meetings. We warned that establishment of 123 Busy Beavers, linked with ABC Learning Centres in Australia would put at risk our vision of an affordable, universal child care system with well paid and well trained staff. » Continue reading “Waterloo Regional Council Votes to end moritoritum on funding to for-profit child care”
