Global News Toronto

The new Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB), does it really provide Canadians with universal access to child care?

The UCCBC that is rolling out is being continuously questioned in regards to its effectiveness.

Families are still working long strenuous hours just to make ends meet to pay for child care, while many contemplate going on welfare instead of continuing to be a working member in our economy.

At the same time, Canada’s Parliamentary Budget Officer figures more than half the people benefiting from Ottawa’s ramped-up child care contributions don’t actually have child care costs:

“In 2015, 49 per cent of these benefits would go to families with child care expenses and young children, and the remaining 51 per cent to families with no child care expenses and families with older children,” the report from this spring reads.

In return, what the UCCB is promoting is lowering the labour force participation and parents, most likely mothers to stay home to care for their child due to the high cost of child care.

The current system is “just wasting money you could be spending providing more help to people who are low income,” said Kate McInturff, a senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

 

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