8. As family income rises, the proportion of the total income spent on day care services drops substantially. High income families spend an insignificant proportion of their annual income in this way.

9. Replies to the question "What kinds of things do you think the government or the community as a whole should do to help parents get better day care or baby sitting?" were as follows:



More centres in convenient location, and more centres for specific groups (i.e. infants); financial assistance to go to the service-provider. 41%
   
Financial assistance to working parents 28%
   
Provision of supports specifically dealing with day care centres including referral and information services and transportation. 19%
   
Longer hours of operation at day care centres 4%
   
Provision of supports for family care services including referral and information services 3%
   
Provision of licensing, standards of operation and supervision for family care services 3%
   
Training programs for family care providers 2%


10. Most of the sitter caregivers studied (including relatives) have had no formal training or professional experience other than that which they obtained through raising their own children.


Source:

L. C. Johnson, Who cares? A report of the Project Child Care Survey of parents and their child care arrangements, (Toronto: Social Planning Council of Metropolitan Toronto, 1977).


Comment:

The increased demand and use of family care services suggests that we are moving toward day care services provided for the convenience of the parents at the expense of quality of care provided to the children. This is largely caused by the neglect in training or supervising sitter, caregivers. However, if government agencies institute such training requirements, the cost of sitter services will increase considerably.


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