Indian Affairs gives her forty dollars towards child care expenses. Forty dollars for approximately thirty hours of work is equal to $1.33 an hour!

These seem to be good examples of the way policy makers treat child care. There is recognition that support for child care is needed but it is token support. Forty dollars allows Mary to get a neighbor or private sitter to baby sit in Halifax. But what kinds of quality can you expect in this unlicensed setting? What happens when the sitter's husband has vacation time? In this below-minimum wage position, there is a good chance that her priorities will change. And there is a good chance Mary will be out of school making her next child care arrangements.

LICENSED CHILD CARE

There are subsidized licensed day care spaces in Nova Scotia. For every subsidized space there are thirty two children in Nova Scotia who could use it. Policies that subsidize only children in licensed day care serve to frustrate women students.

Halifax has the majority of licensed spaces in Nova Scotia, yet one of the authors of this brief has been waiting two-and- one-half years to get a space in a centre. She is still waiting to get her son in. The centre she is dealing with registers names of children before they are even conceived. Perhaps responsible parents should not conceive until they have guaranteed adequate child care.

FLEXIBILITY IN HOURS

Flexibility in delivery is a critical issue for women's learning. Whereas some learners choose a course because it leads to an occupational goal, women may end up choosing one course over another because it fits the child care schedule.

The issue of flexibility is particularly acute for women who are taking courses which have a practicum component. These women may be required to go out of town for the practicum placement. Occupational therapists are placed in a number of hospitals across the province. The community service worker program requires trainees to sign a statement that they are prepared to go to a placement in any part of the province. Such stipulations act to screen out women who have responsibilities in addition to those of being a learner because of the absence of flexible child care arrangements.

As illustrated by the example of the working mother who is also a part-time student, flexibility in the hours of child care delivery can make the difference between succeeding in the course, or failure or withdrawal. Working mothers who are also students are penalized severely because they must pay for care during conventional hours, and then again during their evening class time. Evening care is often more expensive than day time care, especially when the care giver holds professional qualifications. Yet regardless of the costs incurred, there is a ceiling on the amount which can be claimed under the child care expenses of the Income Tax Act. This ceiling favors high income earners, who are least likely to be women, especially those who work all day and go to school at night.

NEED FOR SUPERVISION AND
PUBLIC FUNDING

In addition to the previously mentioned limitations, child care provided outside conventional eight-to-five hours is least likely to be eligible for public subsidy, and least likely to be supervised and regulated to ensure adequate standards of care. The lack of flexibility in the delivery of child care is thus very tightly tied to issues of accessibility, afford ability, and quality.