What the federal election means for families

Four major political parties are vying for your vote on Oct. 19. Don’t give it to them based on half-read headlines or holiday hearsay from the Thanksgiving table.

Today’s Parent has put together a party-by-party election guide to help exhausted parents understand what each policy promise means for your family.

Here’s where the parties stand on childcare. For more on what they propose to do for the economy, environment and crime, see Today’s Parent’s full guide.

Conservatives: Introduced the Universal Child Care Benefit, which pays $160 a months for each child under age six, and $60 a month for children aged six to 17. This income is taxable. They also increased the Child Care Expenses Deduction to $1,000. They have also said they would expand maternity and parental leave benefits.

Liberals: Would replace the UCCB with the Canada Child Tax Benefit, an income-tested benefit for families who make less than $150,000. For instance, TP reports, a two-parent, two-child family making $90,000 would receive $490 a month. The Liberals have also proposed a 10-year, $20-billion, infrastructure plan that would also fund daycare. They would also allow parents to take longer parental leaves.

NDP: Want to create one-million daycare spaces over the next eight years. The spaces would be subsidized, and parents would pay just $15 a day, or $350 a month, per child. They would also keep the Universal Child Care Benefit.

Green: Would establish a universal childcare program. It would offer employers tax breaks for offering in-office childcare, and it would give the provinces more money for early childhood daycare spots. They would cancel the Universal Child Care Benefit.

Read more here.