Childcare
Bill C-35
I am proud to have been the sponsor of Bill C-35, the Canada Early Learning and Child Care Act, in the 44th Parliament.
Taking care of children—looking after the physical and cognitive development from their very first days—has been my life’s work and passion. I have seen firsthand all the benefits of high quality early childhood education and know the positive it can have for a child’s life.
This bill represents the culmination of decades of advocacy by childcare experts, advocates for children and women and economists. Its passage enshrined in law a federal commitment to cooperate with provinces, territories and Indigenous peoples to build and sustain a service for generations of families, to the benefit of communities and the country as a whole.
Resources for More Information
Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada 2021 by the Childcare Resource and Research Unit (English only): This report, written by the Childcare Resource and Research Unit, is a compilation of cross-Canada, longitudinal data and information about regulated early learning and child care (ELCC), kindergarten and parental leave.
A summary of the Canada-wide early learning and child care agreements and action plans by the Childcare Resource and Research Unit (English only): This document provides a summary of selected elements of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care initiative (CWELCC) introduced in 2021.
Publications
I have previously written about the importance of childcare in the media. See below for links to my recent op-eds on the topic.
Transformational investment in child care is needed in budget 2021
- This article was published in collaboration with Former Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick Margaret McCain and appeared in the April 8th, 2021 edition of Policy Options.
National child-care deal would be transformational