CHARLOTTETOWN, PE, May 15, 2024
/CNW/ - Every child deserves the best start in life. But for young
families, including Millennial and Gen Z parents, the costs of
child care can add up to a second rent or mortgage payment. This
makes it harder to start and support a family, and as a result,
parents—especially moms—often face impossible choices between their
careers and child care fees.
Fairness for every generation means ensuring parents, especially
moms, do not have to choose between a career and starting a family.
The Government is taking action to make life cost less for young
families and to build a Canada
where every generation can get ahead.
Already, all provinces and territories are offering or are on
track to offer $10-a-day regulated
child care. This progress, made possible by nearly $40 billion in federal support since 2016,
including the transformative investment of nearly $30 billion in Budget 2021, is making life more
affordable for young families. Women's labour force participation
is now at a record high of 85.7%, meaning more families are
bringing home more income and contributing to Canada's economic growth, while saving
thousands of dollars on child care every year.
But more families need access to affordable child care.
That's why, today in Charlottetown, the Honourable Lawrence
MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food, on behalf of the
Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social
Development, joined the Honourable Natalie Jameson, Prince Edward Island's Minister of Education
and Early Years, to announce $10.1
million over four years to help build more inclusive child
care spaces across the province through the Government of
Canada's $625 million Early Learning and Child Care
Infrastructure Fund. This investment will further help Prince Edward Island, which has already
exceeded the shared goal of building 452 new child care spaces by
2026.
Through this Fund, all provinces and territories will be able to
make further investments in child care, so more families can save
up to $14,300 on child care every
year, per child.
These investments will aim to support families in rural and
remote communities, as well as families in communities that face
barriers to access, such as racialized groups, Indigenous Peoples,
newcomers, official language minority communities, and children,
parents and employees with disabilities. Funding may also be used
to support infrastructure to provide care during non-standard
hours.
Across the country, over 750,000 kids are already benefiting
from affordable, high-quality child care, with some families saving
up to $14,300 per child, per year.
Alongside provinces and territories, the Government of Canada has also announced over 100,000 new
spaces, well on the way to reaching the goal of creating 250,000
new spaces by March 2026.
Investing in affordable child care is about helping more
families save thousands of dollars on child care and ensuring that
every child has the best start in life. The measures highlighted
above complement what the Government of Canada is doing in Budget 2024 to build a
fairer Canada for every
generation. The Government is building more homes, strengthening
public health care, making life cost less, and growing the economy
in a way that is shared by all—to make sure every generation has a
fair chance at building a good middle-class life.
Quotes
"Young families who don't yet have access to affordable child
care spaces are paying as much as a second rent or mortgage payment
for unregulated child care. This is unfair to today's generation of
parents, especially Millennial and Gen Z parents, who need and
deserve the relief of $10-a-day child
care. We are working with provinces and territories to build more
spaces across the country, so that more families can access
affordable child care and save thousands of dollars every
year."
– The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Finance
"Every family should have access to high-quality, inclusive
child care. More child care spaces mean more high-quality spots for
kids, and more relief for parents as they access affordable child
care. The Government of Canada
remains committed to working with Prince
Edward Island so children in Canada have the best possible start in life.
The Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund will help
child care providers across the province so they can continue to
provide access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive
early learning and child care to underserved communities."
– The Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and
Social Development
"This new agreement will help create even more child care spaces
in communities right across the Island, so that every child who
needs a spot, has one. We made $10-a-day child care a reality for Island
families – two years ahead of schedule – and by strengthening this
program, we're making sure our kids have the very best start in
life while saving parents thousands of dollars every year."
– The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and
Agri-food
"At a time when many Island families are facing challenges, it's
essential that all levels of government work together to increase
access and affordability for child care. Investing in child care
infrastructure is a cornerstone of this commitment, vital for both
supporting parents and early childhood educators. Expanding child
care spaces not only empowers parents to pursue their careers but
also ensures that children have access to high quality early
learning. By prioritizing these initiatives, we build stronger
communities and a brighter future for all."
– The Honourable Natalie Jameson, Prince
Edward Island's Minister of Education and Early Years
Quick facts
- As part of Budget 2021, the Government of Canada made a transformative investment of
more than $27 billion over five years
to build a Canada-wide early
learning and child care system with provinces, territories and
Indigenous partners.
- Combined with investments since 2016, including investments in
Indigenous early learning and child care, the federal government
has announced investments of nearly $40
billion in early learning and child care.
- To date, eight provinces and territories are delivering
regulated child care for an average of $10-a-day or less, including Quebec and the Yukon, which achieved this prior to the
Canada-wide system. In all other
provinces and territories, fees for regulated child care have been
reduced by at least 50% on average. Provinces and territories are
working toward lowering fees for regulated child care to
$10-a-day on average by March 2026.
- Canada-wide early learning and
child care is saving families, per child, up to $6,000 in Nova
Scotia, $13,700 a year in
Alberta, $8,500 in Ontario, $6,900
in Saskatchewan, $6,600 in British
Columbia, $6,300 in
Newfoundland and Labrador, $4,170
in Prince Edward Island,
$3,600 in New Brunswick, $2,610 in Manitoba, $7,300
in the Yukon, $9,120 in the Northwest
Territories, and $14,300
in Nunavut.
- As part of the Canada-wide
early learning and child care system, the Government of
Canada is working with provinces
and territories to create 250,000 new child care spaces across the
country by March 2026 to increase
access to affordable child care options for families, no matter
where they live.
- To support this goal, the federal government previously
announced the Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund.
The Fund provides an additional $625
million to provinces and territories to support
infrastructure projects for not-for-profit child care spaces in
underserved communities, such as rural and remote regions,
high-cost and low-income urban neighbourhoods, and communities that
face barriers to access, including racialized groups, Indigenous
Peoples, official language minority communities, newcomers, as well
as parents, caregivers and children with disabilities.
- To further accelerate progress, Budget 2024 announced a new
$1 billion Child Care Expansion Loan
Program, to help public and not-for-profit child care providers to
build more child care spaces and renovate their existing child care
centres.
- To give every child the best start in life, the federal
government is also:
- Giving families more money through the Canada Child Benefit to
help with the costs of raising their children and to make a real
difference in the lives of children in Canada. The Canada Child Benefit, which
provides up to $7,437 per child per
year, is indexed annually to keep up with the cost of living and
has helped lift half a million children out of poverty since its
launch in 2016.
- Improving access to dental health care for children under the
age of 12 through the Canada Dental Benefit, and soon for children
under 18 with the Canadian Dental Care Plan, because no one should
have to choose between taking care of their kids' teeth and putting
food on the table.
- Creating a National School Food Program to ensure that every
child has the best start in life, with the food they need to learn
and grow, no matter their circumstances.
- Supporting after-school learning with an investment of
$67.5 million to help all Canadian
students reach their full potential. After-school learning and
supports play an important role in helping students succeed in
their academic pursuits, especially for at-risk students.
Associated links
Toward $10-a-Day: Early Learning
and Child Care
Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care
Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework
Early Years PEI
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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada