Child Care Utilization and Stability of Quality: Implications for System Management and Oversight

Abstract

Child care can be a public service tool capable of supporting multiple social and economic goals including improving gender equity and reducing inter-generational transfer of poverty through high quality early learning and care for all children, but especially those in low income families. Recent estimates indicate that almost 60% of preschool-aged children regularly spend time in non-parental care (Statistics Canada, 2019b). Yet, Canadian families also rank very low on the OECD’s measures of child care affordability and access to licensed care. This means that families must use unlicensed care which receives virtually no government oversight. Current government statistics provide accurate counts of child care centre capacities. However, little is known about licensed home child care (HCC). Even less is known about the families who utilize unlicensed care, or do without any non-parental care. Beyond access, with very few exceptions, little is known about quality of care most families can access. Such data must form the basis for a social investment strategy that reduces existing inequalities. The dissertation consists of three papers that address gaps in our knowledge of child care in Canada. The first study, used data from the 2011 General Social Survey of Canada. Study findings show substantial heterogeneity in usage rates across the country as well as inequality whereby the families with the fewest resources are more likely to use unlicensed care or to have no care at all. The second study outlines a model for individually licensing and ensuring quality in HCC providers, including requirements for annual health and safety inspections, independent quality assessment and a wide-ranging system of quality supports and enhancements. Cost estimates are provided which are substantially lower on a per provider basis than the current agency-based licensing approach to HCC used in a number of provinces. Using administrative data from the City of Toronto the third study investigated the stability of quality ratings of 1,019 preschool classrooms over a three year period. The results show significant levels of instability suggesting that the frequency of ratings cannot be reduced. Implications for service oversight, system management and further research are discussed.