Media Release December 9, 2022
New Federal Legislation for Child Care: It’s been a long time coming!
52 years after the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada first recommended a national day care act, we are now on the brink of seeing that vision set out in law. Times have changed since 1970! Families today know that high-quality child care provides social and economic benefits, and they need access to affordable, inclusive programs more than ever before.
Over a decade ago the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC and the Early Childhood Educators of BC partnered to develop the $10aDay Child Care Plan - and now we see federal legislation that proposes to enshrine the vision of $10aDay across Canada.
“We celebrate the introduction of Bill C-35, the Canada Early Learning and Child Care Act, which sets out the federal government’s vision for a Canada-wide, community-based early learning and child care system” said $10aDay researcher Lynell Anderson, “and we applaud the federal government’s important commitment to upholding Indigenous rights and jurisdiction in the legislation.”
Sharon Gregson, spokesperson for the $10aDay Child Care campaign, points out the legislation confirms a federal commitment to long-term funding for child care. “Over the last few years, BC has invested significant provincial funds on the road to $10aDay” she noted. “With new federal funding in place, BC is accelerating progress towards a system that meets the diverse needs of families and values early childhood education professionals.”
“The new legislation confirms federal funds will continue to prioritize expansion of non-profit and public programs,” notes Emily Mlieczko, on behalf of the Early Childhood Educators of BC. “Bill C-35 also supports key priorities in BC, which includes implementing fair compensation to support educators in their multifaceted work while ensuring families pay no more than $10aDay for child care.”
We fully support a Canada-wide system of early learning and child care that strengthens policy frameworks and funding agreements in alignment with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as well as Canada’s international obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
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