We know the pandemic is going to change a lot of things in our lives. After a year of this, our 鈥渙ld normal鈥� seems to be a distant memory.
There are things that we miss that we hope to get back, and then there are things that many of us would consider a necessity.
This week, I read an article that discussed how daycare fees are rising and many 颅childcare centres in sa国际传媒 may close due to repercussions from the pandemic.
My daughter is getting to an age where I聽won鈥檛 need to depend on childcare 颅providers much longer, but access to 颅quality, affordable childcare is something that is very close to my heart.
In the 11 years since my daughter was born, I have been able to grow in my career and community involvement as a direct result of having access to daycare.
I鈥檝e moved up the ladder to be the 颅director at a large provincial non-profit. I鈥檝e landed the fantastic opportunity to write this column. I have earned a seat on the 颅Victoria-Esquimalt Police Board, and recently became president of the sa国际传媒 Association of Police Boards.
I am really proud of what I have been able to achieve. Without daycare, none of this would have happened.
I have raised my daughter on my own since she was a baby and I鈥檝e always been her sole provider. I do not have any family in this city, or province. I have always had big goals and I never wanted single parenthood to be a hurdle in achieving them.
Being a role model to my daughter was another reason to shoot for lofty goals.
In her early years, I was so grateful to qualify for a daycare subsidy. Without the provincial daycare-subsidy program, I don鈥檛 know what I would have done.
Childcare costs are always rising. Every year that I have required childcare, it costs more than the year before.
Before we complain about fees, we have to note that fees for nearly every sector rise each year.
I know people who have found a way to work from home and juggle parenting 颅without using daycare since the pandemic hit.
When people can work from home and adjust schedules around their children, it鈥檚 a privilege, however. We need to acknowledge that not everyone has it.
Not everyone can work from home or 颅create a flexible schedule with their employer. I know that there are many families that depend on childcare. Having access to 颅childcare can allow parents to build a career and better the lives of their children.
We鈥檝e gotten close to many of the staff at the childcare centres my daughter has attended. They have built trust, taught her life lessons and been pivotal role models to her.
There are people who can choose if they use childcare, and there are people who don鈥檛 have any other options.
I really hope that a balance can be found to keep childcare centres open and 颅providing care to children and families who need the service.
Charla Huber is the director of 颅communications and Indigenous relations of M鈥檃kola Housing Society
