Child Care in Low Income schools and neighborhoods

This People for Education report has been receiving media attention including in the Spec.

The smaller number  of before and after  child care programs in poorer schools with full day kindergartens is commented on.

 In Hamilton you will also find that schools that serve poorer families have less extended day programs that more affluent neighborhoods.  Poorer neighborhoods also have less access to all licensed child care. The Hamilton Early Years Community Plan 2012-2015 shows that the most licensed care  is available in Ancaster. The percentage of child care spaces by population 0 to 12 shows that central lower Hamilton has 12.3%, East Lower Hamilton has 10%, north lower Hamilton has 0% spaces, Ancaster has 32%.

Licensed care for poorer families faces hurdles. There are subsidies available to cover the cost of the fees, but not sufficient subsidies are available in the Province for all children who qualify.  

In Hamilton, subsidies paid must be at a rate  below the fees charged to other families served by the child care organisation, and the subsidy belongs to the family . Parts of the lower City have high mobility so that families move taking their subsidies with them. There is a waiting list, and although families need care, they may have to wait for service. Spots in child care remain empty sometimes at a cost to the provider because families are waiting for subsidy or have moved taking their subsidy with them. Sometimes these hurdles make child care operators reluctant to provide care in low income areas.

From the People for Education News release:

Full day kindergarten a success, but lack of extended day programs raises concerns

The report lauds the province for the implementation of full-day kindergarten (FDK) for 4- and 5-year-olds, calling it the biggest transformation in the Ontario education system in a decade. But it also raises concerns about large FDK class sizes, and the lack of extended day programs:

·         8% of FDK classes have 30 or more children

·         only 62% of schools with FDK have extended day programs, and they are much more likely to be in schools with higher average family incomes

“The FDK program appears to be getting stronger over time,” says Kerrie Proulx, Research Manager for People for Education. “Children who participated in the third year of FDK, compared to those who participated in the first year, show better outcomes on phonological awareness, number knowledge and writing. And compared to children who attend half-day kindergarten, FDK kids have higher “executive function” which includes things such as working memory, cognitive flexibility and attention.” Full report::

http://www.peopleforeducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/annual-report-2014-WEB.pdf