The federal government intends to implement a national universal child-care program that will require the provinces to exchange autonomy for funding directed toward a one-size-fits-all system. A national universal child-care program is structurally opposed to equity for all families, because it limits funding based on the type of care families use. There are better options.
Child-care policies should be equitable for all families, regardless of the type of care they choose. Universal child-care systems fail to recognize the diverse care needs of parents in PEI and their reasons for the type of care they choose.
- Of PEI children under age six, about 34 percent are in parental care only.1
- About 3 percent of PEI children under age six are in parental care because the parent could not find another option.2
- The majority of PEI children under age six will receive no benefit from funds designated for centre-based spaces.
- Of all PEI children under age six (those in non-parental child care and those who are not), about 40 percent are in centre-based care or preschool.3