Sharon Gregson says that while the Quebec system is not perfect, it’s a step in the right direction because it promotes positive lifelong outcomes for children and encourages women to enter the labour force.

But Ben Eisen of the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies says that universal subsidies are an inefficient way to deliver childcare. He argues that scarce government money should be spent on support for the families that need the help most.

“Our first top priority in this area should be for providing access to high quality childcare for lower income families. The evidence for positive lifelong devlopmental effects from childcare participation is much much stronger for low income families than it is for middle income families.”

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