I saw the March 17 letter, “Childcare desperately needed in Squamish,” published in The Squamish Chief and couldn’t resist responding.
Absolutely agree with the author of the letter on how the situation affects women of Squamish.
My husband and I moved to Squamish in April 2021.
The next month we learned we are expecting a child and thought Squamish would be the greatest place to have a kid — the people, neighbourhood, nature, social services. And then the reality kicked in: lack of midwives and family doctors (but we got lucky with Mountain Maternity group), overbooked RMTs and chiros, wait time for dental services and — wait for it — a waitlist for childcare of up to three years.
My husband and I are lucky. The careers we are pursuing mean both of us can work from home and be relatively flexible with our working hours.
We could somehow make do and have a child at home until he’s qualified for a spot in a kindergarten.
But, I’m afraid without an accessible childcare service, the quality of our work could suffer.
As a result, this would lead to either stagnation or decline in career and salary, which would lead to fewer taxes paid into Canadian coffers by our family.
Without an accessible childcare service, as a female professional, I’ll be forced to work fewer hours, affecting my income, career progress, skills, and the service I bring to my clients.
Eventually, it could lead to:
1) my situation contributing to the growing gap between male and female professionals, which doesn’t look good for the country’s stats.
2) Me becoming a candidate for government support programs, thus draining the Crown’s money instead of contributing to it.
Having affordable and accessible childcare in the community is in the government’s and the community’s interest. It will free up a much-needed labour force after the pandemic, services and create revenue for our local economy.
Childcare is not only about children and tired parents. It’s about Squamish’s sustainability and the town’s future.
Marina Zub
Squamish
