NEWS RELEASE

February 24, 1995 For Immediate Release

INSTITUTIONALIZED DAYCARE IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER STUDIES SHOW

"Liberal's plan to spend $1.4 billion on non-parental care will have negative long-term consequences."

Ottawa - Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville hosted a news conference with Dr. Mark Genuis, Executive Director of the National Foundation for Family Research and Education of Edmonton. The results of two studies were presented which show that non-parental care of more than twenty hours a week has "an unmistakably negative effect" on the development of children. "Separation of young children from their parents has negative effects in their bonding, social and emotional development, behaviour and also influences their ability to learn," reported Breitkreuz.

The first study referred to in the research presented was a comprehensive analysis of all studies conducted on daycare since 1957 throughout the world. The second study conducted by Dr. Genuis found that separation from parents through the use of non-parental child care resulted in insecure bonding to parents and was a direct cause of emotional and behavioural problems for teenagers. Regular non-parental care prior to the age of five years was a significant predictor of insecure attachment with parents. The place and the quality of non-parental care made no difference to the bonding process. The regular separation from their parents was the reason for insecure bonding. Commenting on these studies Breitkreuz made the following prediction, "Advocating government subsidized, institutionalized daycare which would encourage even more separation between children and parents is a recipe for disaster."

The federal government has announced it's intentions to spend $720 million of federal funds, drawing an equal amount from provincial governments to create another 150,000 institutional daycare spaces in Canada. "While the Liberal government and many advocacy groups think this is a good idea, I believe they should seriously consider the long term consequences before proceeding. These studies show that non-parental child care will have a direct effect on increasing personal and behavioural problems, increased depression, increased crime, particularly youth crime, and more personal stress leaves from work, all of which will require more government spending and higher taxes in the years ahead," said Breitkreuz.

"Seventy percent of women surveyed in a Decima poll in 1991 said they would prefer to stay home to care for their children, if they had a choice," stated Breitkreuz. "A Reform government would give them that choice by providing support for child care programs that subsidize financial need, not the method of child care chosen. And, by providing support programs that subsidize children and parents, not institutions and professionals. Reformers oppose state-run daycare," stated Breitkreuz. "Unfortunately, twenty-five years of government overspending and higher and higher taxes have forced both parents to work. Reformers have a long term plan to reverse this trend. Until such time as we can implement our flat tax system, Reformers support the concept of income-splitting between legally married couples to make it easier for families to care for their children at home," concluded Breitkreuz.

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For more details on these studies please call:

The Office of Garry Breitkreuz, M.P.

Yorkton: (306) 782-3309

Ottawa: (613) 992-4394