Introducing Proverbs & Policy: a new Cardus podcast, part of the @commentmag Podcast Network. Subscribe today wherever you get your podcasts. Proverbs & Policy brings the wisdom of two thousand years of Christian social thought to the questions shaping public life today. Hosts @rpennings, co-founder of Cardus, and Andreae Sennyah, Cardus’s director of policy, take up the events, trends, and policy debates of the moment a few weeks after they break, when there is room to think. Each episode pairs a conversation with a guest who knows the issue first-hand and a discussion between the hosts—one Protestant, one Catholic—about what their shared tradition brings to it: the dignity of the person, the purpose of institutions, and the common good. They share more ground than you might expect, and where they differ is part of the conversation. This podcast is non-partisan, made for people who think about public life for a living and for anyone who wants to think about it more clearly. Click the link in the comments to learn more and subscribe today, so you’ll be among the first to hear our debut episodes when they drop ⬇️

Scarce federal and provincial daycare dollars are going to subsidize universal childcare regardless of whether those receiving a subsidy need it or not. Meanwhile, many lower income families who work in shifts cannot access the care because the "9-to-5" nature of the universal childcare program is unsuited to their needs. And families who would prefer to stay home with their child receive no childcare support. Cardus' @mrozekandrea told @NEWSTALK1010's Deb Hutton the fairest way to support the daycare costs of Canadian families is to let families apply any subsidy toward their preferred method of childcare.

British Columbians were shocked last week that the Premier and his family were able to access scarce subsidized daycare spaces. But for Cardus' @mrozekandrea, who has been studying Canada's daycare roll out for years, this was a familiar story. The national universal daycare program actually privileges middle and upper income users over those working low income jobs. Andrea told @NEWSTALK1010's Deb Hutton if you don't like that higher income families have access to the system, then it is the system which needs changing.

British Columbians were shocked to learn this week that B.C. Premier David Eby has access to not one but two spaces in the province’s beleaguered system of $10-a-day subsidized childcare, when many low income families cannot get a space for their own children. However, those upset by this must realize one fact: this is a consequence of the system’s universal design. It is unintended, but nonetheless a consequence. @MrozekAndrea explains that there are a myriad of other ways to help families with their childcare choices that are vastly preferable to what we have now. We need only find the political will to bring about these changes. @TheHubCanada bit.ly/3WtgqGW

The second episode of our video series, “The Real Alberta Advantage: Educational Choice in Action,” takes you to Lighthouse Christian Academy: a small independent Christian school in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, that parents describe as a place of “God’s love, connection, and family.” Lighthouse began with parents who sacrificed so much to give their own children a Christian education, and today the school is full to capacity year after year. For one Sylvan Lake father, the change in his son since moving to Lighthouse has been “massive”: the boy who once called school “another day of torture” now feels at home and “loves coming to school.” And he’s quick to dispel the myth that independent schools are only for the wealthy: “I’m not rich. . . . This is not a posh school. It’s a good school.” Schools such as Lighthouse show what’s possible when families have real options: research consistently links greater educational freedom to stronger outcomes and greater equity. This is educational choice in action. Follow the link in the comments to learn more about educational choice and the many ways it benefits students, families, and all of society.

Cardus is hiring a director of faith community engagement—could this be the right role for you, or someone you know? We’re looking for an experienced relationship-builder who is energized by big ideas, constructive dialogue, and the role of faith in Canadian public life. You’ll build and strengthen a network of faith leaders across Christian denominations and other faith communities, and connect them with Cardus’s research, policy, and events. You’ll also be a public voice on faith, religion, and freedom of religion and conscience through op-eds, radio and television, and podcasts. This full-time role is based in our Hamilton or Ottawa office. English-French bilingualism is a significant asset. Applications are reviewed as they come in. Click the link in the replies to learn more and apply ⬇️