Politicians hold key to children’s futures
January 21, 2008
Peter Ehrlich, The Toronto Star
Eliminating poverty makes economic sense
January 11, 2008
Ann Decter, co-ordinator of Campaign 2000; The Toronto Star
Give the Early Learning and Child Care Act a push
April 2007
Bill C303 passed second reading in the House of Commons with the support of all three opposition parties. And now the bill is going to a House of Commons Standing Committee for review. If all three federal opposition parties continue to support this important legislation, the Bill will move forward to the House of Commons for final consideration.
Early Learning and Child Care: What’s Needed
March 2007
It’s time to embrace a compelling vision for the future of early learning and child care. Code Blue for Child Care is putting forward a program that can excite parents’ imagination and serve children’s interests.
CODE BLUE: Budget message on child care: let parents eat cake
OTTAWA, March 19, 2007 /CNW Telbec/
The federal budget is a slap in the face to the millions of Canadian families desperately seeking child care, says Code Blue for Child Care.
“The Harper government is cutting $1.2 billion in federal funding for child care and instead is handing over only $250 million to the provinces and territories to create spaces,” says Morna Ballantyne, Code Blue Coordinator.
“The Conservatives have taken away any hope and opportunity for creating the system of early learning and child care that Canadians say they want.”
Contrary to pre-budget speculation, the Conservative government has not abandoned its plan to give tax breaks to businesses for child care.
“Instead, they have abandoned parents,” says Ballantyne. “It is a smoke and mirrors tactic though because they know there will be almost no uptake from businesses and the plan will cost them nothing and give us nothing.”
Canadians have said time and time again they want the federal government to deliver equitable and quality services but Budget 2007 is almost entirely transfers to individuals and businesses in the form of tax credits, and to provinces and territories in the form of arrangements with no strings attached.
“It’s a bad budget,” says Ballantyne. “It should not be supported.”
Premiers’ Meeting – Council of the Federation
February 7, 10:30 a.m., Fairmount Royal York Hotel, Toronto
The premiers are meeting to discuss the fiscal imbalance and we want to take the message to them that early learning and child care should be at the top of their agenda.
Code Blue will gather with a group of about 20 people, including children and parents to present the premiers with an open letter (which will be posted on the website the same day along with the media release) and cards made by the children.
The letter urges the premiers to:
- Pressure the federal government to restore $1.2 billion in dedicated child care transfer payments in the upcoming 2007/08 federal budget.
- Use provincial/territorial dollars to fund their provincial/territorial child care system so that children, families and communities don¹t pay the price for the federal government¹s unilateral actions.
- Make a long-term commitment to build comprehensive early learning and child care systems in their jurisdictions with provincial/territorial and federal dollars.
- Work together to ensure that Canada¹s children receive the best possible early start that we can give them.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
You can help send a message to the premiers that we want them to fight for early learning and child care. Contact your premier¹s office to urge him to come out of the meeting at 10:30 for a photo opportunity with a small gathering that has a message of support for child care.
What’s Wrong with the federal Child Care Spaces Initiative?
September 2006