“Not just somebody’s mother”: University Campus Daycare Co-operatives in Ontario and British Columbia, 1960s to 1970s

Abstract

Daycare is now a common sight on university campuses, but this was not always the case. Using the case studies of Simon Fraser University, the University of Toronto, and Queen’s University, this project examines the creation of daycare co-operatives on university campuses. The research makes clear that the formation of the co-operatives stemmed from the New Left and Women’s Liberation Movements. The radical ideology that the co-operatives took from these movements frequently caused friction and conflict with the liberal university and provincial administration. The co-operatives challenged and adapted to these pressures. They also challenged the nuclear family and the gendered division of care work. In the end, however, the projects were co-opted by university administration. Despite their inability to continue as co-operatives, these experiments in accessible and affordable daycare laid the groundwork for the recognition of the importance of childcare on university campuses and the responsibility of institutions to provide it.