VANCOUVER – In a surprising twist, a Vancouver couple, Lena Shillington and Ryan Sudds, who recently welcomed their second child, have come forward to shed light on an unexpected financial challenge arising from provincial policies. Their experience highlights the difficulties faced by parents on parental leave in British Columbia.
Just five weeks ago, the couple celebrated the arrival of their newborn, Susan, who now joins her three-year-old sister, Grace. The latter has been attending daycare, thanks to the Affordable Child Care Benefit, a provincial program providing a monthly subsidy of $500 to eligible families.
Lena Shillington emphasized the critical role of this benefit in their family’s financial planning, saying, “It was a consideration. We couldn’t afford two kids in daycare at the same time, so their age separation, there has been some thought into it.”
However, this week, the family received a disheartening call from the provincial government, delivering unwelcome news. It turns out that families with a parent on parental leave do not qualify for the Affordable Child Care Benefit, leaving Shillington and Sudds facing a difficult choice.
In a scenario where their household income is already reduced due to parental leave, they must decide between accumulating an additional $6,000 in debt over the next 12 months to continue sending Grace to daycare or withdrawing their toddler from the childcare facility, which could potentially disrupt her crucial early childhood development.
Ryan Sudds expressed his concern, recognizing that many families could face even more significant challenges, saying, “I know there are families that are in even worse spots, and it’s going to hit them even harder. Part of this is a warning: the government will take away your money when you have a new kid, for child care.”
Despite the parents’ distressing situation, the Ministry of Education and Child Care has declined interviews with Minister Rachna Singh and Minister of State for Child Care Grace Lore. Instead, the ministry issued an unsigned statement clarifying its stance.
According to the statement, “ACCB is not available when a parent is taking parental leave unless the parent has a medical condition that prevents them from being able to care for their children.” However, the statement did not address the questions raised by CTV News regarding the rationale behind this policy.
Sudds emphasized the dilemma they now face, stating, “It’s either $6,000 in debt, or take our child out of daycare, which is something that she doesn’t want to be taken out of. And it’s a really bad moment to have that decision forced upon us while we’ve got a new child.”
Despite the challenges, the couple has chosen to assume the additional debt temporarily to keep their toddler in daycare, all the while wishing that the government would reconsider their position and alleviate this financial burden imposed on parents during a time of significant change.
