Early Childhood Learning and Child Care Fund Announced as part of Liberal Platform

BACKGROUNDER
Early Childhood Learning and Care Fund

Every Canadian child deserves the best possible start in life and a comprehensive approach to learning in Canada begins with early childhood learning and care.

We’ve already seen leadership on early childhood learning and care from provinces such as Quebec. But due to a lack of federal leadership from the Conservatives, Canada receives failing grades from international bodies, including the OECD and UNICEF, for having no coordinated national early childhood learning and care policy. Growth of child care spaces has declined sharply under the Harper Conservatives.

Working parents, amidst all their other pressures, often struggle with waiting lists for the limited number of existing spaces. That wait can often last years. In fact, Canada ranks last among industrialized nations in providing access to affordable, high-quality child care spaces. Investing in our children not only eases pressures on families – it also boosts the economy. A recent study funded by the Government of Canada found that every dollar invested in early childhood learning and care increases economic output nearly two and a half times that amount.

For these reasons, a Liberal government will establish a new Early Childhood Learning and Care Fund that will invest $500 million in the first year of our plan, rising to an annual commitment of $1 billion by the fourth year.

Administered as a new social infrastructure fund, provinces, territories and First Nations will be able to apply to the Fund for cost-sharing of early childhood learning and care plans that create and operate new, affordable, high-quality early childhood learning and care spaces across Canada, with qualified professional staff.

The long-term goal is a high-quality, affordable early childhood learning and care space for every Canadian family that wants one. But the federal government cannot do this on its own. It will require sustained collaboration among all governments. As implementation of the Fund ramps up joint investment, a Liberal government will work collaboratively with other governments on the research, policy development and sharing of best practices for the system to meet its long-term goal. This plan will support innovation and different approaches at the provincial and community levels.

Our commitment will place Canada on a path of step-by-step, year-by-year progress to improve access to early childhood learning and care. The result will be higher quality care for Canadian families, less waiting for spaces, and a country with a renewed commitment to the learning and development of our youngest citizens.