City of Calgary councillors are taking a big step towards providing accessible childcare in our city. Ward 9 Councillor Gian-Carlo Carra and Ward 11 Councillor Brian Pincott filed a motion to change the land use bylaws for city-owned buildings and households. This motion was sparked by the discovery of a municipal building with an empty space. The Lumino building was developed with spaces intended for child care providers, but the correct land use bylaws are not in place.
Child Care in Calgary
Calgary is facing a child care crisis. According to a survey by Public Interest Alberta, existing licensed facilities only serve 20% of the demand for parents with children aged 0 – 5 years; there are even fewer spaces available for children with special needs; and the median child care fees are $1050 for infants, $936 for toddlers, and $924 for preschoolers. When women are living in poverty, their opportunities for advancement and well-being of their children are impacted. Without affordable, accessible, and quality child care, women have limited choices for education and employment. They often have to stay at home because they do not have child care or take on low paying, part-time work to work around the schedules of child care facilities; this furthers the cycle of poverty for herself and her children.
We are excited about the leadership Councillors Carra and Pincott have taken on providing accessible child care for Calgarians and providing a better future for women and their families.
To learn more about the Women’s Centre’s work on advocating for accessible, affordable, quality child care through the Municipal Child Care Collaborative, click here.