Advocate wants province to push for more universal child care

A spokesperson with the Childcare Advocacy Association of Canada said Monday's announcement by the federal government to commit more funding to the provinces on child care is not as inclusive as advocates would like it to be.

Jody Dallaire, who spoke to CBC News from Saint John, said advocates for child care welcome the federal government's move to assume a leadership role in child care and education.

But the deal, which commits $7.5 billion over 11 years to help provinces and territories create up to 40,000 affordable child care spaces across the country, is targeting funds to low-income families, instead of making them available to all families, she said.

"It's no longer based on universality where every family that needs child care will be able to access it," said Dallaire.

Help for low-income, indigenous families

The government's plan commits Ottawa to a long-term partnership and funding investment with the provinces and territories. 

In return, the provinces cannot use the funding to subsidize their own programs but are required to focus on child-care operations that include families that are low-income, indigenous, single-parent, living in under-served communities or with children with disabilities.

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The framework will be implemented through three-year bilateral funding agreements starting in 2017. 

"This agreement will help give more Canadian children the best possible start in life and provide more support to families across our country," said Jean-Yves Duclos, the federal minister of families, children and social development, at a press conference Monday.

Duclos said the Liberal government committed in 2016 to create a child care and early learning system that allows more families access to "affordable, high-quality, flexible and inclusive child care."

While the principle of universality has historically guided federal investments in health and social services, and will remain part of the government's long-term vision, this agreement considers "the needs of the most vulnerable children," he said.

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"We know how difficult financially it is for many families across Canada to have access to affordable child care," he said.

"There are elements of people's family life that make it more difficult [for them] than for other families to participate in the labour market, to have access to quality child care for their children."

Push for universal system

Dallaire said there are some provinces that are building universal childhood education and child care systems that are inclusive of all children – including Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia – and New Brunswick doesn't need to wait for the federal government to assume a leadership role.

Asked how much this would cost the province, she suggested the provincial and federal government invest one per cent of its gross domestic product.

"There are certain things that the provinces can be doing to start the building blocks of a universal system, where money will be transferred directly to programs, and at the same time asking programs to cap fees so that they are affordable to families," she said.