Kate Bezanson, Associate Professor of Sociology and Associate Dean of Social Sciences at Brock University, co-wrote a piece in The Hamilton Spectator with Andrew Bevan, Executive Advisor to Mohamad Fakih, Chair of the Fakih Foundation, and Monica Lysack, Professor of Early Childhood Education at Sheridan College, about obstacles that stand in the way of establishing a Canada-wide child-care system.

They write:

“Canada will eventually emerge from lockdowns and a health-induced economic downturn. The pandemic has revealed our strengths, frailties and resiliency, and changed us as a nation.

We have also reimagined our federation. Pandemic federalism has demonstrated our elected leaders’ capacities to respond to shared risks and collaborate in Canada’s interests. In this new moment, there is widespread agreement that a Canada-wide child-care system will accelerate the post-crisis economic recovery and make it fairer.

The throne speech last September made plain that the federal government is ready to fund what is required to build a system, and that the time to do so is now.

So, what’s standing in the way on this urgent priority that sometimes comes close but is never delivered?

Two surmountable obstacles stall progress on child-care system building; negotiating federalism and complexity inertia.”

Continue reading the full article here.