The Hill Times – Opinion:  Canada’s economy runs on care. Our policies haven’t caught up 

Canada spends a great deal of time debating productivity, labour shortages, and affordability. Governments commission studies, economists warn about stagnation, and employers grapple with talent retention. Yet one of the forces—caregiving—is quietly shaping all three yet it is still treated as if it sits outside the economy altogether. 

Care is a productivity, affordability, and essential systems issue. We just haven’t been treating it that way. Like housing, transit, and health care, caregivers and care providers are essential players in our economy, society, and health and social care systems. They make daily life, paid work, and public systems possible, yet their contributions lack the investment and policy attention they warrant. 

New findings recently published by the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence (CCCE), a program of the Azrieli Foundation, suggest what has long been treated as a private family responsibility is now becoming a public economic risk. Nearly half of caregivers are now facing financial strain. One in five is spending more than $12,000 a year out of pocket just to support a loved one. These are not optional expenses, but the cost of making sure someone has dignity, safety, and a basic quality of life.