NAVIGATING THE CHILDCARE CHALLENGE
Childcare in Canada: A Growing Concern
Across Canada, childcare is a growing concern. The impacts of the $10 a day childcare program have left many childcare operators in challenging positions, increased waitlists to unimaginable timeframes, left childcare workers behind as their wages stagnate and many parents without options. Demand has exceeded supply in many cities across Canada and some daycare operators are facing closures despite their best efforts.
Meanwhile, parents who have been able to access licensed daycare, are thankful to be seeing a decrease in fees, but have to simultaneously watch the childcare providers struggle to make ends meet. Attracting early childhood educators is an industry-wide challenge, and something has to change if we want to attract exceptional talent to help shape the minds of the next generation. So based on all this, we wonder if $10 a day daycare is really going as planned?
In the current landscape, temporary solutions are crucial, and finding alternative options can provide relief to parents looking for care. Here is how we think we can help:
Supporting Daycares:
With increasing waitlist, daycares are turning parents away knowing there are few options. By sharing Birdie Break with parents, daycares can offer temporary babysitting solutions while parents wait to get accepted. Or, in the event of understaffing or unforeseen closure, we can also support childcare providers by offering Birdie Break sitters as resources to share with parents.
Looking after our sitter community:
Our sitters are incredible caregivers who have a passion for children. It is an important and difficult job that requires patience and resilience. We allow babysitters to participate on our app at no charge, they set their rates, and chose which jobs they accept. They are in control of where, when and how much they work. We believe through mutual respect and trust we have built a community that is loyal to Birdie.
Helping Parents:
Birdie Break offers a safe and reliable solution for parents in 8 Canadian cities. We vet thousands of sitters, and take care of the due diligence so parents don’t have to. Less than 10% of applicants qualify to be Birdie sitters, the others just simply don’t make the cut. We have over 700 childcare providers ready to work who have been interviewed and screened through our rigorous screening process (which includes police background check and ID verification). We also offer payment through our on-demand app and receipts for transactions which is why many parents use Birdie Break when they need childcare to attend work or school.
We don’t have the answers to the funding model, but we are here for parents, babysitters and the greater childcare community. We are optimistic that all Canadian parents will have access to high-quality, affordable childcare as a result of the $10-a-day daycare initiative, and that operators and childcare providers will be supported. But it won’t be quick. In the meantime, we are here offering babysitting services for parents, babysitters and daycare providers.
Learn more about Birdie Break:
Download our on-demand childcare app today to find an amazing, reliable and trustworthy sitter near you!
For media inquiries and further information, please contact:
hello@birdiebreak.com
*The information provided in this blog is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended as professional advice and should not be construed as such. The content is based on the author's personal opinions and experiences, and individual circumstances may vary.
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