Planning for a National Child Care System

The federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs are to develop agreements with provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to fulfill election commitments on child care.   This article  Beyond baby steps: Planning for a National Child Care System calls on the federal government to plan for:

• a  common, detailed, evidence-based  policy framework
• long-term, stable federal funding
•  real options are available for families
•  services to be available when and where they are needed
•  quality programs  through regulations, staff qualified in early childhood education, good child-staff ratio’s and group sizes, a strong pedagogical base
•  affordable programs
• reliable operational funding provided directly to services
• public management of child care services

Federal dollars should be earmarked for building/renovating, stable operating funding, and supporting and developing the system.

The Manitoba Early Learning and Child Care Commission Report, January 2016 proposes an  ELCC policy framework to provide access to all parents who require the service.   This roadmap, combined with political will and  in conjunction with a federal government commitment on child care, should enable Manitoba to significantly expand and improve our early learning and child care system.

MCCA has provided the Minister of Families, the Hon. Scott Fielding with a briefing paper on how to improve early learning and child care in our province and will make a written submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance for the pre-budget consultation in advance of the 2017 budget.

 

 

Categories: News

Posted by Jodie Kehl at 1:50 pm