A socially charged movement is developing, with the capacity to initiate real change in society

BY STEVEN KASZAB

The pandemic money is gone, and childcare and many smaller industries are on the brink. During the pandemic temporary funds were available providing some relief for these smaller businesses.

Childcare: Many childcare providers could barely afford to operate, while parents were often unable to pay more to assist the operators in their time of need. Parents were and are struggling to pay tuition, room and board for their families, enduring high costs of essential services and essential needs to live. Childcare providers received funds based upon their size of operation and number of children they cared for.

Wages have been the greatest costs providers needed to manage, so when funds dwindled, the number of caregivers lessened. Families were dealing with limited and unstable incoming funds, not knowing if they could afford childcare at all. Alternative services were looked for and acted upon. Providers were dealing with less enrollments, less funds, more stress and challenges.

Care.com has researched responses from parents who use childcare, finding many family units used up more than a quarter of their income on childcare, while the Department of Health says for childcare to be affordable, it should cost no more than 7% of a family’s income. Mean time tuition had risen and wait lists had grown.

Small business: Subsidizing childcare and many other services by various governments will become more difficult to do, as public organizations demand more funds, raising taxes and limiting priority services offered to the public. The public can only endure costs for so long, until social efforts to bring women more into the economy fail.

Many Conservative organizations, political parties and business think tanks suggest a return to the proven old ways, where either mom, or dad stay home to care for their offspring, and the other goes to work. It is a definite cost cutter for many. No need for daycare, or another car with its associated expenses, no need for many things already accepted in our economy allowing both family members to work.

These social changes have been developing in conservative parts of America and Canada. Led by business-friendly organizations and churches, a family centered movement is driving a change to the economy. It is apparent that the government and corporations have no real clout and cannot create affordability within our society. Only socially motivated, church inspired movements can direct this change in society.

A socially charged movement is developing, with the capacity to initiate real affordability in society, within your neighborhood. Affordability can be found in most things if your needs overcome your unnecessary purchasing expectations.

The little guy, the small businessperson who invested all to create a dream business is dealing with these challenges. Once: payroll, mortgage payments, food, supplies are dealt with, many investors and business heads go home with wages equaling a few dollars an hour. Living in debt, paying for necessities with a credit card, or loan can last only so long. Both the owner and their paying clients are struggling, in financial depression and distress. Only the: large corporations, big business and big government seem to keep trucking on: spending, borrowing, distributing cash willy-nilly it seems.

Our elected officials continue to promise billions of dollars to foreign nations, organizations and good deeds for all, while you and I are trying to find funds to pay our near future taxes.

Carry on folks, carry on.