Just a quick post to say a very belated thanks to Mad Hatter and Jen at One Plus Two were kind enough to award me one of February’s Just Post Awards for my Code Blue for Daycare rant.
I’m absurdly pleased by this. And be warned, I’m also encouraged. Just this morning, I choked on reading in the Citizen that Stephen Harper was quoted as telling party supporters this weekend, “We must always think first of the unspoken interests of millions of working families.”
It’s a lovely platitude, but Harper’s policies have been anything but working-family friendly. First, the universal child care benefit, which is neither universal nor child care. Now, rustlings in the wind that they are considering income splitting for families. I could go on, but I don’t want to sully this proud moment with another rant.
Instead, just a simple thank you to Mad Hatter and Jen and all the people who participate in the Just Post movement every month. Get on over to their blogs and take a look at some of the excellent posts from this month alone. It will do you good.
I am completely anti-Harper and the conservatives. But as a Mum who has chosen to stay home with my child, I welcome the idea of income-splitting. It may enable a lot more parents to make the choice we did. I know a lot of working mums who are only working because it’s not financially viable for them to stay home, and I see nothing wrong with promoting that choice. Money has always been put into daycares, why not give parents more of a chance to care for their own children.
That said, the UCB is not going to make that happen for anyone, nor will it help those who need it to pay daycare. The cost of daycare in BC is ridiculous. I don’t know how people with more than one child manage or why they would do so when unless you make over $50,000 a year you’re just working to pay the day care.
I am completely anti-Harper and the conservatives. But as a Mum who has chosen to stay home with my child, I welcome the idea of income-splitting. It may enable a lot more parents to make the choice we did. I know a lot of working mums who are only working because it’s not financially viable for them to stay home, and I see nothing wrong with promoting that choice. Money has always been put into daycares, why not give parents more of a chance to care for their own children.
That said, the UCB is not going to make that happen for anyone, nor will it help those who need it to pay daycare. The cost of daycare in BC is ridiculous. I don’t know how people with more than one child manage or why they would do so when unless you make over $50,000 a year you’re just working to pay the day care.
amen. and i HOPE you are encouraged, because i am digging what you have to say.
amen. and i HOPE you are encouraged, because i am digging what you have to say.
Did you see Bev Oda’s self-serving piece in the (of all things) Dove ad that was in the Globe on International Women’s Day?
Meanwhile, my sister is being threatened with having her hours cut at the pre-school she manages b/c there isn’t enough money to pay the bills. Her workload won’t change, she’ll just lose 2 hours a week–in short it is in effect a pay cut and there’s not a damn thing she can do about it b/c she has no union. B/c childcare in Canada is treated like a “crap job” that anyone can do.
Sorry to bring a bit of my fury here. I’ll back away and say instead, “it was a most deserved Just Post indeed.”
Did you see Bev Oda’s self-serving piece in the (of all things) Dove ad that was in the Globe on International Women’s Day?
Meanwhile, my sister is being threatened with having her hours cut at the pre-school she manages b/c there isn’t enough money to pay the bills. Her workload won’t change, she’ll just lose 2 hours a week–in short it is in effect a pay cut and there’s not a damn thing she can do about it b/c she has no union. B/c childcare in Canada is treated like a “crap job” that anyone can do.
Sorry to bring a bit of my fury here. I’ll back away and say instead, “it was a most deserved Just Post indeed.”