Julie Delmaire is the mother of one year old Arielle. She is expecting twins next October.
The reduction in daycare fees announced on Tuesday will save her about $ 1,000 per month when her three children are in daycare.
Of course I am really happy! I was so relieved, because when I return to work, the three [enfants] will still be in the nursery, […] which would make $ 2040 dollars per month.
The money saved by the family will be used for something else, says Julie Delmaire.
We will keep this for other family activities […] With three children, we must not stay inside, we must move
, she adds with a big smile.
Julie Delmaire and her daughter Arielle. The girl attends the Pomme et Rinette educational center at the Evangeline Community School Center in Prince Edward Island.
Photo: Courtesy Julie Delmaire
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An agreement between Ottawa and the island government establishes that these fees will be halved by the end of 2022 and that they will reach $ 10 by the end of 2024.
The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and his provincial counterpart, Dennis King, made the announcement on Tuesday.
Right now, daycare fees on the island range from $ 27 to $ 34 per day, depending on the provincial government.
The two levels of government have also committed to creating 450 more child care spaces on the island within two years.
Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau was at Carrefour de l’Isle-Saint-Jean, Prince Edward Island on Tuesday.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Julien Lecacheur
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More opportunities for women
The Executive Director of the Prince Edward Island Advisory Committee on the Status of Women, Jane Ledwell, recalls that the reduction in child care fees will mainly benefit mothers in the province.
Women still carry the heaviest childcare burden in families, even as the burden is becoming increasingly equal between the sexes.
, she explains.
Jane Ledwell, Executive Director of the Prince Edward Island Advisory Council on the Status of Women.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Elisa Serret
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Jane Ledwell also hopes that better access to daycare will allow women to flourish more in the labor market, especially those with low income.
Childcare services will contribute to the lives of women by enabling them to stay in touch with the labor market and at the same time build their careers and families.
The executive director of the committee stresses that the reduction in childcare costs will make this service more accessible to different social classes, in particular to single-parent families which are often headed by women, she underlines.
In Prince Edward Island we see a lot of women working part time and often for low wages. […] therefore, they do not earn enough money to look after their children
, says Jane Ledwell.
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