To Stephen Harper, provincial premiers and federal opposition leaders: honour the child care agreements

• Verified Signatures: 54739

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. Cancelling 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.

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Note to Parents

A year ago, Prime Minister Stephen Harper scrapped the new national early learning and child care program, replacing it with taxable, monthly $100 cheques to parents. He also said he would provide capital funding to create new spaces.

His words

"The [Universal Child Care Plan] will help parents to choose the decision that best suits their families - whether it means formal child care, informal care through neighbours or relatives, or a parent staying at home."

"[We will] put in place a substantial and fl exible incentive to create spaces that meet the real needs and complex realities of Canadian families. We will] create 125,000 new child care spaces over five years."

"This initiative aims to ... help parents balance their work and family responsibilities."

"We said all along any signed agreements, contractual obligations with the government of Canada, will be honoured." (April 30, 2005)

The reality

• The Universal Child Care Plan isn't universal - it's taxable. It's not child care - it's unaccountable. There is no plan to expand and improve early learning and child care in Canada.
• Child care choices for parents are shrinking. The provinces have shelved their plans for better, expanded, affordable child care. Spaces are disappearing as centres close. Parent fees have gone up. Families struggling to balance work and family are still scrambling to cobble together child care arrangements.
• While communities, provinces and businesses across Canada have spent months telling the government its promised capital funding for 125,000 new spaces won't work, not one space has been created.
• Of all developed nations, Canada is rock bottom when it comes to early learning and child care spending and provision.

Overall Assessment

Stephen's work on child care has been Unsatisfactory. He has failed Canada's children and their parents.

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