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Fifty-four cents per day not enough for ‘twelve-year-old baby sitter’ - CUPE

CALGARY - A report by the Caledon Institute, a think tank specializing in child care issues, says that because of the way the federal government is implementing its $1,200 childcare benefit, rich families will earn far more than poor.”The government is introducing the program at the same time it is scrapping the young-child supplement of the child tax benefit,” said CUPE Alberta President D’Arcy Lanovaz, commenting on the report. “A family earning $30,000 or less will take home about $199, while a single parent earning over $200,000 will receive over $1,000.”

“This policy doesn’t play nice,” said Lanovaz. “It pads the pockets of the rich without helping families who need a national child care program.”

“The benefit to poor families is fifty-four cents per day, not enough for a twelve-year-old baby sitter, let alone proper child care.”

Lanovaz said the study shows the complete failure of the Conservative child care strategy. The CUPE Alberta President said his union favours a national child care plan that creates regulated, not-for-profit daycare spaces.

“The Harper government is not creating a single childcare space anywhere in the country,” said Lanovaz. “They are spending money to help parents who probably don’t need it at the expense of families who do.”

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For more information about CUPE Alberta, visit www.alberta.cupe.ca