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"Completely absent from this budget is information on how the government will ensure that this Canada-wide system attracts and retains qualified early childhood educators (ECE) and other child care workers, who are the backbone of quality child care. Efforts to expand the child care system must involve strategies to expand the workforce, improve compensation and working conditions, and ensure decent work in the sector." — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
Ottawa (11 April 2022) — After last week's federal budget, it is clear that more is still needed to expand access to quality child care and ensure there is a workforce to provide it.
Last year’s budget was the starting point, not the finish line
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) has long been calling for a Canada-wide child care system that is universally accessible, publicly funded and managed, inclusive, and high quality. This means supporting a trained workforce that has fair wages and benefits and decent working conditions.
NUPGE welcomed the announcement of funds for a Canada-wide child care system in last year’s budget, and the subsequent signing of the bilateral funding agreements. But we have been clear that the details matter.
Expanding public, non-profit child care is crucial
For example, we believe that the public funds must go towards expanding child care in the public and non-profit sectors. That way we can be sure the funds are going to provide quality care for children instead of investor profits. There is no place for profit in care.
In our pre-budget submission, NUPGE urged the federal government to allocate more funds to public and non-profit providers to ensure they have the capacity to expand the number of child care spaces, echoing the calls of other child care advocates.
New funding likely not enough
The budget includes additional funds for infrastructure. This is positive, and NUPGE welcomes the commitment. But the amount of money that’s been allocated seems unlikely to be enough to ensure the supply of child care meets the demand (Child Care Now). And it is unclear whether these funds will be designated, specifically, for the public and non-profit sector.
If governments aren’t able to scale up supply to ensure more than just a handful of families have access to high-quality, affordable child care, they risk putting the whole system in jeopardy. Access to child care is already insufficient and inequitable — something that the Canada-wide system must address.
Workforce strategy urgently needed
"Completely absent from this budget is information on how the government will ensure that this Canada-wide system attracts and retains qualified early childhood educators (ECE) and other child care workers, who are the backbone of quality child care," said Larry Brown, NUPGE President.
The pandemic has worsened staffing shortages and burnout in the sector, worsening a preexisting problem of recruitment and retention.
"Efforts to expand the child care system must involve strategies to expand the workforce, improve compensation and working conditions, and ensure decent work in the sector," said Brown.
The work has just begun
Minister Freeland claimed during last week's budget tabling that the government has delivered on its commitment. While we applaud the federal government’s progress on this project, we know that there is still much work to do.
"We will need to continue to hold government’s feet to the fire," said Bert Blundon, NUPGE Secretary-Treasurer, "to ensure that we are building towards a system that is universal, public, inclusive, and high quality."