Have ya ever looked after 20 kids under the age of 5 or so? That ratio is atrocious. I'm not being a snob advocating ritzy private care facilities, but that's downright dangerous. You can't watch that many kids SAFELY. Those style daycares still exist, but they are "underground". If they were ever discovered by the powers that be, they'd be shut down in a second based on safety issues.
In the past 6 years i've had 2 children and had to deal with the childcare system in this province. We've been fortunate and have found decent care for our children, but it hasn't been easy, and we had a bit of luck on our side. Trust me, that $100 (taxable too!) that was handed out starting 2 years ago is a drop in the bucket.
For us to have 2 kids in a regionally run (meets standards, qualified staff, safety, etc.) daycare comes to almost $1400 a MONTH!!! Yeah, thanks for the chump change Harper.
Now, the great thing at tax time is that you can claim those expenses and you get a nice chunk back. I'm all for that. I'd rather have tax incentives be laid out that way. It ensures that the money is being spent on child care at licensed facilities.