Live-in Caregiver Amy Mercado is concerned that current policy reforms in the Canadian Temporary Foreign Worker Program are simply band-aid solutions to bigger issues. The program allows Canadian families to hire foreign workers to live temporarily in their homes and care for elderly, young, or disabled citizens. The program is one of three ways that immigrants can acquire permanent Canadian residency. Originally trained as a nurse, Mercado came to Canada from the Philippines 13 years ago to work as a live-in caregiver. She is now a Canadian citizen. Suffering verbal harassment in the first few years of her employment, she’s only too aware of how often live-in caregivers face unsafe working standards. “Although foreign live-in caregivers are technically under the same labour laws as Canadian workers, they work and live in someone else’s private home,” Mercado explains. “They can suffer a lot of unseen damage.”

Ministry Official Mark Swanson says that while the program is nowhere near perfect, they’re trying their best to reform it. “Recent protections, such as the implementation of a standardized employment contract between caregivers and families and a phone help line for caregivers, have made a big difference,” Swanson says. One of the major changes was allowing caregivers to apply for open work permits while waiting for residency. However, the program is currently backlogged with about 80,000 applicants, and wait times can be up to 38 months.

Mercado says policy changes are helpful, but are not enough. One of the greatest challenges that caregivers face is having to leave their own children and families behind in their home country. The wait time for residency means they are separated for several years. “It’s sad and ironic, I took care of other people’s children for 3 years while I was separated from my own,” Mercado says. “Family reunification needs to be made the top priority for policy reform.”

Although the Live-in Caregiver Program needs to be reformed, it appears what’s subsequently needed is federal investment in childcare and old-age programs. Foreign supply of labour is a mere band-aid solution to Canada’s lack of funding for such programs.