Building more child care spaces for families in Quebec

MONTREAL, May 13, 2024 /CNW/ - Every child deserves the best start in life.

That's why, today in Montreal, the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Transport and Quebec lieutenant, and the Honourable Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, announced $123 million over four years, with $82 million through 2025-2026, to help build more inclusive child care spaces  across Quebec through the Government of Canada's $625 million Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund. This investment will help Quebec reach the shared goal of building 30,000 new child care spaces by 2026. The funding announced today builds on previous investments made under the asymmetrical agreement between the governments of Canada and Quebec on early learning and child care.

Funding from the Government of Canada will enable Quebec to support its priorities in terms of early childhood education and care, and measures to improve inclusiveness.

Across Canada, 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 of Canada 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.

"Young families who don't yet have access to affordable child care spaces can pay unregulated child care fees that are the equivalent of a rent or mortgage payment. This is unfair to parents of young children, especially Millennial and Gen Z parents, who need the help that comes with affordable child care. This agreement will provide thousands more Quebec families with affordable, regulated child care and will help Quebec strengthen a system that already inspires the country. It's a system that promotes women's participation in the workforce, creates jobs and gives children a good start in life. Thank you to the feminists of Quebec who have shown the way for the rest of Canada."
? The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

"Quebec has been a pioneer in early learning and child care in Canada, and this new funding will be part of an asymmetrical agreement with the province of Quebec that will enable the province to further improve its child care network. This agreement will support Quebec's priorities for early childhood education and care, and its measures to improve inclusiveness. All families should have access to high-quality, inclusive early learning and child care services. More spaces means more children can benefit. The Government of Canada remains committed to work with the Government of Quebec to give children the best possible start in life."
? The Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

"Quebec is truly a pioneer in childcare services. By investing to support Quebec's efforts to make these services even more accessible, we're making life easier for Quebec families. We continue to deliver for Quebecers by taking concrete action that makes a real difference."
? The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Transport

"We've done more than any government in a generation to expand Canada's social safety net, including investments in early learning and child care. Today's announcement will help more children in Quebec getting the best possible start in life, while ensuring that more families - especially young mothers - can participate fully in the labour market. It will help build a fairer society for all, and I look forward to seeing the difference it will make in the years to come."
? The Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec

"The educational child care network in Quebec is an example worldwide. It is a source of national pride and a model to follow?as much for its educational quality as for its flexibility. I'm glad that the Quebec government has made an agreement without conditions. Our objective is to continue developing a strong network for our very young children."
? Ministre de la Famille, Suzanne Roy

• 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.

Toward $10-a-Day: Early Learning and Child Care
Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care
Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada