'Rarely an answer': Daycares face confusion, inconsistent child-care subsidy funds
CBC
While residents of the Northwest Territories have been hearing about subsidies to make child-care more affordable, families that use daycare and day home services might be wondering when they'll see those discounts.
According to the education department, families should receive their refunds by June.
The subsidy, which is retroactive from January, is delivered through child-care providers who apply for a monthly subsidy and can then provide their services to families at a reduced rate.
Day home operators, however, say there is still confusion about when they'll receive the money and say they haven't been able to turn to the department for support.
Yellowknife day home operator Yvette Cooper said she got her subsidy money last week for January to April, but said there are inconsistencies in when operators get the funds.
"It's very hit and miss across the board," she said. "Some people have gotten January to March, but not April. Some people have gotten nothing. One woman got April, but none of the other [months]."
Though Cooper's subsidy came through, she said delivering the refunds "is not as straightforward" as she anticipated.
"They just give you a chunk of money and they did not help us split it up."
Cooper said she's still getting the correct figures sorted out in her Excel spreadsheet.
In an email, education department spokesperson Erin Mohr said when programs get the funding depends on when operators completed their paperwork. She said the department is processing payments in the order that documents were received.
Child-care providers are required to submit their subsidy paperwork by the 10th of each month, to be refunded by the 7th of the following month. That means if operators submit documents by May 10, for example, they would receive payment by June 7th.
Mohr said the department chose those dates to allow flexibility in day home and daycares' month-to-month registration. Having the deadline on the 10th of each month allows "adequate time for the program to confirm registration for the following month as well as for [the Education, Culture and Employment Department] to review, clarify if needed, and process payment," she said.
But the system is leaving operators with questions.
Cooper is asking parents to hold off on paying her for the month of May while she waits for the latest round of the subsidy, but she said other expenses can't be put on hold.