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This spring, the McGuinty Government appointed Dr. Charles Pascal to present a report recommending the implementation of a full day learning programme for 4 and 5 year olds in the province of Ontario. The report (http://www.ontario.ca/en/initiatives/early_learning/ONT06_018876) is thoughtful, creative and based on the premise that adults should work together in new ways to make the best possible environment for children in a way that best helps families.

His first mistake was assuming that adults could work together. Perhaps the second was to think that there is political will to create solutions for families.

Right now, in this country, there are not enough child care spaces for our children. In Toronto, wait-lists for licensed child care centres are so long that in many cases, children have to be registered before they are born. Child care is also so expensive that some parents are working just to pay for day care. This is crazy.

Then, when children get to be school-aged, parents must scramble to find before and after school care, which is just as elusive and almost as expensive, since no-one makes money providing only a few hours a day of care, and therefore the demand outstrips the supply. Parents struggle individually to make arrangements for their families, and often find it difficult to make what is best for the child the first consideration.

Child care is also so expensive that some parents are working just to pay for day care. This is crazy.

What has long been known is that many children who arrive at school at the age of 5 have not enjoyed the optimal conditions that others may have, putting them at a distinct disadvantage. This disadvantage follows them and increases as they grow older. Studies have shown that care by a loving and knowledgeable parent is the best approach for the early years of a child’s life. A great alternative is quality care from an educated early childhood professional in a child care situation. Unfortunately, there are lots of kids who get neither, and for a variety of reasons. It's been shown that these kids are more likely to lag behind academically, socially, emotionally and psychologically. Once in the school system, it is difficult to catch up.

Dr. Pascal's recommendation is a feasible plan to help even the playing field and benefit everyone. He outlines a vision for families whereby most services for children would be centralized in schools, and thereby available for families everywhere in the province.

He proposes that schools function as community hubs for families, with day-care, social services and health services and learning, as well as after school care and community support for families, available on site. He promotes the idea of a full day of learning for 4 and 5 year olds, which includes professional Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) providing care for the hours before and after the teachers' school-day session in the classroom, and even working alongside them in cases, to provide a caring learning environment for children from 7 am to 6 pm. He paints a picture of schools with vibrant after school care for kids that promotes parent involvement; places for parents to go to seek information and support about many aspects of happy and healthy kids, and by extension, families.

Dr. Pascal also includes specific budgets and planning ideas, and answers critical questions about structural issues, space and staffing. He proposes the cost for a 4 year old at $27 per day, which is about half that of current licensed day-care, and points out the financial benefit of having parents working and paying taxes. It sounds, for the most part, wonderful. Imagine for parents the security and peace of mind that comes with having their children cared for by professionals who are specifically trained to work with their age group; looked after in a seamless way after school hours, by trained staff in the same location; having appointments with other health or development professionals on site, who were able to work with the other care-givers who best know their child.

But we’re already hearing talk that it won’t go through and that the biggest stumbling block involves the teachers union, who are concerned about having ECEs in the classroom. According to the Toronto Star, “The teachers' union has been adamant that teachers be in charge of full-day kindergarten...Teachers hold at least two university degrees and in the Toronto area earn an average of $60,000 a year. Early childhood educators, who generally have college diplomas, although universities such as Ryerson offer bachelor's degrees in the field, earn much less” (http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/education/article/698986--province-on-verge-of-giving-in-to-teachers).

The extra cost involved with having only teachers will likely bump class sizes, and makes the possibility of seeing a true “full day” (i.e. 7 am to 6 pm) impossible. Although no explanation of the hours of the “full day kindergarten” that the teachers' union is proposing has been made, we can infer they will not be in the classroom for 11 hours, but more likely something like 9:30 am to 2 pm. This is virtually the same thing that exists currently, only extended to all 4 year olds. Also, the cost of having only teachers in the classroom means that the province has admitted they will not be able to afford the other pieces of the plan, like after school care for kids up to age 12, and community supports for parents available on site.

How is this helpful to parents? They will still have to scramble to find care during the day for their children, often at unlicensed locations, and will still have to find a way to get their children from there to school, and then back or somewhere else after school, until they can pick them up after work. Children may also be missing out on the expertise of a staff trained in the early years of development. While caring people work in both fields, and there are some amazing teachers in our system, there are benefits to the education and training exclusive to an ECE, since it focuses on the age range in question and uses a play-based mode more appropriate to younger children.

As a parent, I was moved by Dr. Pascal’s vision of care for our children. They could go from home with a parent on parental leave, to a centre in our local school, cared for by trained professionals for the entire day, at a reasonable cost: this is the path we want for our kids to be happy and healthy and able to learn. We must be able to find solutions that don’t see limits based on short-sighted budgeting, or political posturing, or union strong-arm tactics. Everyone benefits from a society where kids and families are able to do their best. We need support to be able to do this. Studies consistently show that dollars put into early prevention save money in the long term. Happy, healthy kids who are able to learn become happy, healthy and productive adults who pay taxes, contribute to our social economy and make the world a better place. We have an opportunity to do something truly meaningful for kids and families. Let’s make the best of it.