Though the study shows 76 per cent of Canadians believe children under six are best raised by a parent in the home, that figure drops to 70 per cent for Quebeckers, the lowest level in all regions polled.
And while 55 per cent of Canadians prefer to have children under six looked after by a relative or other caregiver if a parent is not available, only 34 per cent of Quebeckers would.
“Quebeckers in general support out-of-home child care more than any other part of Canada,” the study says.
The IMFC study says among the reasons for these differences in opinon could be Quebec’s heavily subsidized institutionalized day care. The program created in 1997 originally charged $5 a day per child but now charges $7 per day. After implementation, numbers of children in centre-based care in Quebec shot up from fewer than 20 per cent to almost 55 per cent as of 2006.
“It is likely that Quebeckers have ‘chosen’ the government-subsidized child care in some part because it is now the only affordable option,” the IMFC says. “Prior to 1997, Quebec had a range of family benefits, which were removed in order to pay for the provincial day care plan.”
The study notes that state-subsidized child care is expensive, forcing Quebec to raise funds through higher taxes, including high rates of income taxes and an HST of 15 per cent (by contrast, Ontario’s HST is 13 per cent). Of all the provinces, Quebec has the highest debt to GDP ratio at 50 per cent, according to the Conference Board of Canada in 2012, the study says.
“Ironically, the low cost of day care to parents in Quebec may create barriers to making other family choices,” the study says. “Government-funded day care systems act as a monopoly, eradicating other child care options.”
Another reason Quebeckers might have differing views on this matter may be the result of the higher rate of cohabiting vs. married couples in the province, the study says. In Quebec 37 per cent of couples live common-law as opposed to about 20 per cent in the rest of Canada. The study shows support for parental care is nine per cent lower among cohabiting couples than it is among married couples.
“Of common-law respondents, only 38 per cent prefer a relative,” says the study. “On average, 51 per cent of all other respondents (single/never married, married, divorced/separated, and widowed) support a relative as caregiver in this situation.”
In Quebec, only 27 per cent of common-law respondents support a relative as a caregiver option, as opposed to 46 per cent outside Quebec.
The poll results, the IMFC says, could be due to “the higher break up rates of cohabiting relationships.” The risk of separation for common-law couples is two times higher than it is for married couples who have not lived common law, according to a 2004 study by Quebec researchers from the University of Quebec and the University of Montreal, the IMFC says.
The risk of break up for similar couples outside Quebec, however, is five times higher.
“The presence of the provincially funded day care system appears to have changed Quebec residents’ attitudes toward child care,” the study concludes. “This is something other provinces should take into consideration as they debate possible ways to support child care.”
The most surprising finding in the study, the IMFC found, is the fact 45 per cent of Quebeckers would prefer cash payments to parents for child care compared to an average of 25 per cent outside Quebec.
“This desire stands in contrast to the system they have, which funds day care centres, not parents,” the IMFC says.
The IMFC says a topic for further research is finding out more about how Quebeckers truly feel about their present subsidized day care system.