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Health/Wellness

Stay-at-home parents need tax break

Stressed families trying to make ends meet should be given tax breaks to allow one working parent to stay home in a bid to reduce domestic violence, a Red Deer MLA says.

AJAY BHARDWAJ

[ 2007-03-11 ]

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Mary Anne Jablonski says Alberta’s dubious distinction of having the highest domestic violence rate in the country could be attributed to the pressure families are under to pay the bills.

“We need to create a system to help parents who choose to stay at home,” said Jablonski.

“I think we can benefit from that in that we’re not subsidizing daycare and after-school care and we may have less stress-related illnesses.”

According to the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters, more than 20,000 women and children requested shelter in 2005-2006 and couldn’t be accommodated. Some 13,000 women lived in shelters during that time.

Shelters experienced a 34% increase in the number of crisis calls received in fiscal 2005-2006.

“I see so much stress in working families,” said Jablonski. That stress leads to domestic violence or family breakdown, she said.

“You have someone anchoring the home, making meals and doing the organizing. I think the home is an industry all in itself.”

Giving one parent – and not necessarily the woman – the ability to stay at home would do just that, she added.

“I’m advocating choice,” she said. “Some parents may not have a choice and may be compelled to work.”

Jablonski said she was just musing, but added that if enough Albertans asked for such a tax break, the Tory caucus would consider it.

But Liberal House Leader Laurie Blakeman said the child tax benefit already covers off the need for a tax break.

“The most pressing need we have is to provide more child care spaces in this province,” said Blakeman. “People need licensed, quality access to child care in this province.”

Lack of adequate child care spaces is putting heavy pressure on families to find alternatives for their children, she said.

Parents are forced to make temporary arrangements for the care of their children or take sick days or holidays to look after them, Blakeman said.

Once child care needs are addressed, Blakeman said she would be open to discussing a tax break for families in which both parents work.

abhardwaj@edmsun.com