Tories won't create child-care standards; Provinces will spend $250 million the way they feel is appropriate
The Daily News (Nanaimo)
April 3, 2007
By: Norma Greenaway

The federal Conservative government has little appetite for imposing strict rules on how provinces and territories spend the $250 million it will transfer to them this fiscal year to create up to 25,000 promised child-care spaces, according to the minister responsible for the file.

Human Resources Minister Monte Solberg also says unlike the nascent child-care plan of the former Liberal government, the Conservative government will not establish national child-care standards.

"Every province is so different," Solberg said in an interview with CanWest New Service. "You know having the same standards for downtown Toronto or Nunavut just doesn't make any sense."

Solberg said he has put his provincial-and-territorial counterparts "on notice" the federal government expects them to use their share of the $250 million to build on their child-care systems.

But Solberg said he recognizes the need for flexibility, and some governments, rather than creating new spaces, might use the money to support existing spaces.

Solberg also said he expects the public in each province and territory to play the key role of holding their respective governments' feet to the fire on how the money is spent.

The money for child-care spaces, which started flowing April 1, was contained in the federal budget unveiled last month. In future, the annual funding of $250 million will be rolled into the Canada Social Transfer, a lump-sum payment to the provinces and territories that is slated to increase annually by 3%.

The money for spaces is less than one-third of what the former Liberal government had promised over the next few years to help finance a national system of early learning and child care. Under the plan, which the Conservatives cancelled, money was supposed to flow only to centres providing quality spaces at affordable prices.

Solberg was unapologetic about dumping the Liberal plan in favour of putting more money into direct support for families. This includes a taxable $100-a-month allowance for all children under the age of six that dates back to July 2006, and a refundable tax credit of $2,000 for each child under the age of 18 contained in the latest budget.