For many families, affordable and accessible child care is an important aspect of their financial security.

Without it, women are often forced out of the workforce to care for their children, says Pelham Regional Councillor Diana Huson.

“There’s been a lot of focus on the economic outcome of the pandemic and how it has pushed us into a recession,” says Huson. “A lot of people have lost their jobs, have been impacted by reduced hours and have even opted out of the workforce. This has disproportionately affected women, so much so that a lot of people are now referring to it as a ‘she-session’ or as a ‘pink-collar recession.’ When schools and child care centres closed, women had to pick up the slack.”

This Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 11 a.m., Huson will lead a webinar on ‘The role of child care in a post-pandemic recovery’ as part of the free weekly Business Breathers webinar series facilitated by the Goodman School of Businesses’ Goodman Group. The webinars feature 30 minutes of live industry and faculty expert-led discussions, followed by a 15-minute question-and-answer period. Topics focus on leadership, management and innovation, as well as the financial and social impacts of trending topics.

Huson’s presentation will reflect on some of the economic pressures that have resulted from the pandemic and will speak to using child care as a viable policy option that more accurately addresses the uniqueness of this recession.

“Governments have tools in their figurative toolbox that help them overcome recessionary pressures, but some of the tools may not be effective when the recession is disproportionately affecting women,” she says. “There is an opportunity now to view child care, not as a personal problem, but as an economic tool to help in our recovery from the pandemic. It’s a good for policy for both families and for GDP.”

Everyone is welcome to attend Business Breathers webinars. Interested participants are asked to register online. A confirmation email will provide a Lifesize link to access the webinar at the date and time it is planned.

Upcoming Business Breathers:

The role of child care in post-pandemic recovery
Presented by Diana Huson, Regional Councilor, Region of Niagara
Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 11 a.m.

Big data analytics: Wisdom or folly
Presented by Ejaz Ahmed, Dean, Faculty of Mathematics and Science, Brock University
Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 11 a.m.

Creative infusions for your work and life
Presented by Stephanie Barnes, Chief Chaos Organizer, Entelechy
Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 11 a.m.