A collection of prior IMFC work on whether provincial or federal governments should provide state-run daycare.
In case you missed it, the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada had an opinion piece in the Ottawa Citizen on December 16. Cut full-day kindergarten altogether argues that all-day kindergarten is a financial boondoggle that won’t reap benefits for Ontario down the road. Focusing on the economy makes sense since times are tight and Ontario has an annual budget deficit of $18.7 billion. However, there is likewise no research premise to suggest that children in large, universally accessible programs achieve educational benefits—a major claim of those pushing the program. (Prior research has shown the benefit of targeted programs, geared toward those truly in need.)
The following is a collection of prior IMFC work pertaining to all-day kindergarten and the debate over whether provincial or federal governments should provide state-run daycare. (All-day kindergarten is an extension of the daycare debate since it is from all-day kindergarten that advocates will push for statefunded care for younger and younger children.) One opinion piece is not enough to explain all of the misgivings we hold toward institutional care for our very youngest. Therefore, the research selection below does a better job of fleshing out various angles on the topic.
The IMFC takes this opportunity to wish you and yours a Happy New Year and all the best in 2011.
Drop the hyperbole! New childcare research is not as categorical as it appears
(August 2010)
Child care: Research, quality, costs
(July 2009)
The Cost of a Free Lunch: The Real Costs of the Pascal Early Learning Plan for Ontario
(November 2009)
Getting Children out of the House: Removing the Federal Government from the Business of Child Care is Tricky, but it can and should be done
(Summer 2008)
Poll: Canadians Make Choices on Child Care
(Spring 2006)
Don’t get Fooled by the Childcare Research: Spotting the flaws in the universal child care argument
(Winter 2005)