YWCA Toronto | code blue for childcare

code blue for childcare

February 20th, 2006

An open letter to Prime Minister Harper and provincial Premiers:

We are calling on you to work together to honour the promise of a national child care program. The place to start is by protecting the early learning and child care agreements between the Government of Canada and the provinces.

The federal-provincial agreements on child care were negotiated in good faith.

They lay a foundation for a full system of early learning and child care that can meet the needs of all Canadian families. Canceling them sets back the development of a national child care program for years to come, leaving families with young children to fend for themselves. Breaking federal-provincial child care agreements would be a breach of public trust and would lead to a cut of almost $4 billion from child care funding.

The federal election results were not a mandate to turn back the clock on child care.

While income support for families is a valid policy goal, a taxable family allowance and a tax credit for employers will not create early learning and child care services that are high quality, available and affordable. Families need income supports and publicly funded child care services.

We call on all governments to protect and enhance progress on child care.

Sincerely,

(Please add your name by going to www.buildchildcare.ca)