Child Care
History
In 2006 FAFIA encouraged the federal government to keep the agreed upon deals between the federal government and provinces to develop Canada's provision of early learning and childcare. The family supplement being offered by the government, while useful, was not supporting the development of adequate child care, which is needed both by women and men who work outside the home or by those who work in the home. FAFIA supports providing increased income support for families. Having said this, it is NOT a substitute for public investment in high quality early learning and child care programs.
The 2007 federal budget has been a major set back for the Canadian families seeking childcare. Rather than providing increased income support to those families, the Harper government has cut $1.2 billion in federal funding for childcare, handing over instead only $250 million to the provinces and territories to create spaces. This cut undermines the chance of creating an adequate system for early learning and childcare that Canadians need and deserve.
Analysis and Actions
The Fight for a Publicly-Funded Child Care System in Canada
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) recently released its Spring 2009 issue of Our Schools/Our Selves entitled Beyond Child’s Play: Caring for and educating young children in Canada. This report takes a broad, comprehensive view of child care and early childhood education and examines it though a variety of different lenses to offer readers a number of points of entry into this nuanced and multifaceted topic.
Lynell Anderson and Jody Dallaire of the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada co-authored the article “The Fight for a Publicly-Funded Child Care System in Canada” which appears in the publication.
FAFIA REPORTS TO UNITED NATIONS ON CANADA’S POOR RECORD ON WOMEN’S HUMAN RIGHTS
Canada’s performance in achieving women’s human rights is currently being reviewed by the United Nation’s Committee on the International Covenant on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
FAFIA, along with its member groups, has submitted a comprehensive national civil society report to the UN CEDAW Committee to advise this review.
Nearly 40 women’s equality seeking groups and individuals collaborated on this testimony of Canada’s adherence to CEDAW and its implementation of the CEDAW committee’s recommendations of 2003.
Tell Lynne Yelich that a child care system is needed!
Conservative MP, Lynne Yelich, parliamentary secretary for Human Resources and Social Development, is currently seeking personal stories about how Canada’s current policies help or hinder the ability of parents to provide care for their children. The purpose of the inquiry is to find fair and equitable tax policy for all care styles.
Conservative capital plan won’t ‘create’ child care spaces
A new study shows Stephen Harper’s promised “child care spaces initiative” is bad public policy that won’t deliver the much-needed accessible spots.
IWD 2006: Childcare is Key to Women's Equality
On International Women’s Day, the National Association of Women and the Law and the Feminist Alliance for International Action call on Prime Minister Harper to maintain and renew the funding agreements with the provinces for childcare programs. Cancelling the childcare funding agreements will represent a huge step backwards for women.
How to Participate
FAFIA REPORTS TO UNITED NATIONS ON CANADA’S POOR RECORD ON WOMEN’S HUMAN RIGHTS
Canada’s performance in achieving women’s human rights is currently being reviewed by the United Nation’s Committee on the International Covenant on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
FAFIA, along with its member groups, has submitted a comprehensive national civil society report to the UN CEDAW Committee to advise this review.
Nearly 40 women’s equality seeking groups and individuals collaborated on this testimony of Canada’s adherence to CEDAW and its implementation of the CEDAW committee’s recommendations of 2003.
Urgent Appeal - Act today for child care : Give the Early Learning and Child Care Act a push
Bill C303, the Early Learning and Child Care Act, is a private member’s bill that, if adopted, will help Canada build a much-needed child care system.
Report Card: On early learning and child care
Stephen’s work on child care has been Unsatisfactory. He has failed Canada’s children and their parents.
JOIN US in supporting a national child care program in Canada
FAFIA is focusing on the status of Canada’s national child care program for International Women’s Day. To this end, we are inviting all of our members to sign onto an open letter from a FAFIA partner organization, the Childcare Advocacy Association of Canada (CCAAC). It asks the Prime Minister, other federal party leaders and the provincial premiers to honor the existing childcare agreements between federal and provincial/territorial governments.
