Portico Press

A common trend within modern developed nations has become stagnating, or even declining, birth rates.  Canada’s birth rates of women aged 20 to 34, between 2017 through to 2021, have seen a downward trend of on average -10%.  While a moderate increase of 1.7% in birthrates of women aged 35 to 44 has been recorded (StatCan, 2023).  What can be understood from these numbers?  The assumption has become that an increase in living costs has pushed the expected age of motherhood later in life.  For states this poses a worrying trend, families are a guarantee of future taxable citizens, productive members of society (on average), and generally is a sign of good health for nations.  Considering the challenges posed to families, and specifically mothers, states look to policies that may alleviate some financial pressures for new parents.  In Canada we look to Quebec.

The implementation of Quebec’s childcare system was driven by a desire for political autonomy and egalitarianism.  The program was created under the Parti Quebecois’ family policy reforms of the late 90’s.  The integrated child allowance spreads provincial tax dollars to licensed childcare facilities in Quebec and subsidizes up to five dollars a day of childcare per child.  This program was brought about because of strong egalitarian values held within the sub-state nationalism of Quebec in the 90’s and the forward thinking of the PQ in the wake of a failed separatist referendum.  

Quebec’s cultural values of egality and liberty shaped much of its social climate in the years prior to the separation referendum.  The 1995 referendum marked the peak and subsequent decline of the PQ as a federally viable option, returning it to its provincial boundaries.  In the wake of the referendum the PQ continued entrenching provincially distinct social programs that reflected their unique cultural values.  The White Paper report of 1995 concluded that the integrated child allowance, referred to as ICA, could replace some direct financial support to families and increase labour market participation in families (Baril et al, 2000).  In 1997 the ICA was enacted to support low income families by subsidizing licensed childcare facilities and offering significant tax rebates to families without access to care facilities (Senikew, 2002, 15).  This move reinforced egalitarian principles of Quebecois cultural identity and directly connected the PQ with a large portion of its electorate.   

The program primarily affected the 1.2 million Quebeckers aged thirty to thirty-nine, by addressing the increasing demands of a work-life balance in a global job market (Statcan, 2021).  The program’s rationale held that “mothers and/or fathers are able to re-enter the workforce without paying high daycare costs” creating a larger tax base to support the program’s costs (Senikew, 2002).  The childcare system proved to be a success as it became widely used by Quebeckers and nationally recognized as sound social policy.  The program afforded low income families the opportunity for childcare and with it the “proportion of preschoolers in regulated care tripled from 15% in 1994/95 to 45% in 2002/03”  (Kohen et al, 2008, 453).  The statistics showed a stark increase in the utilization of regulated child care in the province which enabled an increase in market participation.  Notable changes occur when considering low income families as “about 10% of children aged 0 to 5” were in regulated care in 1997, compared to the “close to 31% of Quebec’s low-income preschoolers” in 2003 (Kohen et al, 2008).  The effects of the policy conclusively alleviated some of the burdens low income families face in caring for their children and maintaining steady income.  

Quebec exemplified its cultural egalitarianism in its creation of the ICA as part of their social policy reforms of the 1990’s.  The program enabled families the choice of participation in the job market through childcare subsidies.  The Parti Quebecois furthered its influence in Quebeckers lives by increasing governmental assistance to families, especially impactful in the wake of the failed referendum.  National child care programs have been reinvigorated in their discourses because of the pressures created by Quebec’s distinct social programmes.  Quebec’s cultural identity and social policies asserted its political autonomy in a period of its perceived decline.  A result of the ICA has been the emancipation of individuals from their familial responsibilities and a more egalitarian society.

Citations

Baril, Robert, et al.  Quebec Family Policy: Impact and Options. 2000. Institute for Research on Public Policy.  

Senikew, Annamarie.  Quebec’s Child Care Policy.  2002.  Saskatchewan Economics Journal.  pg# 15-25.

Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. Population Estimates on July 1st, by Age and Sex, 

Government of Canada, Statistics Canada.  

www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1710000501&pickMembers[0]=1.6&pickMembers[1]=2.1&cubeTimeFrame.startYear=1995&cubeTimeFrame.endYear=1997&referencePeriods=19950101,19970101.

Statistics Canada. Table 13-10-0418-01  Crude birth rate, age-specific fertility rates and total fertility rate (live births)

Kohen, Dafna, et al. “Child Care in Quebec: Access to a Universal Program.” Canadian Journal of Public Health / Revue Canadienne De Sante’e Publique, vol. 99, no. 6, 2008, pp. 451–455. JSTOR.