Live-In Caregiver Program
The Association of Caregiver and Nanny Agencies (ACNA) on their Press Release on July 5, 2010 has raised some questions on the newly-approved Live-in Caregiver Laws. They claim that the revisions of the LCP have a “negative effect on family life and further eroded Canadian productivity.”"
ACNA claim that based from their survey, there was a 70-90% drop in placement following the changes made by the Government of Canada under the Ministry of Immigration, Citizenship and Multiculturalism.
Good or Bad?
Under the new LCP laws, the employers are required to pay for 1.) travel cost for live-in caregivers to come to Canada; 2.) medical insurance until the live-in caregiver become eligible for provincial health coverage, and 3.) Workplace safety insurance and any recruiting fees owed to third parties. These revisions, the ACNA, explains has placed a burden on families wanting to hire a live-in caregiver to care for their young, disabled and the aged. ACNA points out that although the families who hire a live-in caregiver shoulders all the expenses, the caregiver is under no obligation to stay with them. This, ACNA maintains, makes Canadian families vulnerable to individuals who abuse the program by coming to Canada under the LCP at no personal cost, without intention of staying long-term and seeking new employment.
Further, in a position statement by a group “Protection for Canadian Families,” they alleged that Minister Jason Kenney has only sought to protect the overseas caregiver’s rights and not the tax-paying Canadian families.
Moreover, some individuals within the Filipino community has also raised the above concerns, stating that the changes is killing the LCP and that the main reason for these changes are to eliminate the program.
Employment Standards
However, Marna Martin, chair of the Canadian Coalition for In-Home Care responds to the above-mentioned concerns, stating that the new revisions will reduce the number of caregivers arriving in Canada without legitimate employers or “Released Upon Arrival.” These RUAs usually take months to find new employers who are willing to process their papers. As a result, most ended up working “under the table”or accepting payments that are below the minimum wage. With the new law, Martin asserts that the newly-hired caregivers are assured that the Employment Standards and government regulations are followed and they won’t be buried in debt incurred by placement fees.
Although Martin acknowledges that there will be fewer overseas VISA’s issued, the abuses under the program will greatly be reduced. She also stated that the closures of caregiver and nanny agencies has not reduced the number of families hiring caregivers but rather, they are opting to post their ads on-line and not through the agencies.
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