Tell the Harper government why child care funding must be a priority

Send the Finance Minister your thoughts and ideas about why child care services are important for children and families and Canada’s economy.

Ottawa (6 Feb. 2008) – The Harper government is preparing the 2008 federal budget and the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is joining with the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada (CCAAC) in encouraging people to remind the government that public investment in early learning and child care is a social priority for Canadian families and an economic priority for Canada.

Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is inviting Canadians to send him their advice on priorities for the 2008 federal budget.

This is an opportunity to remind the government that given the proven social and economic benefits of child care services, and the glaring lack of access to child care, it is imperative that Canada get in line with other OECD countries and establish a publicly funded, high quality and accessible child care system across the country.

You can send the Finance Minister your thoughts and ideas about why child care services are important for children and families and Canada’s economy through an online consultation on this website here.

The consultation page presents a number of specific budgetary goal options that respondents are asked to prioritize and to offer comment of 50 words or less. The CCAAC offers the following helpful suggestions with respect to responding to three specific options outlined in the consultation process:

• Government Option: The Government should take steps to ensure that Canada is prepared to deal with the implications of an aging population.

Response: Clearly Canada must ensure that, as the labour force starts to turn over rapidly, younger generations receive the best possible start on lifelong learning and development and families have the support they need in order for parents to maintain their labour force participation.

• Government Option: The Government should implement broad-based policies that will help all sectors of the economy to succeed.

Response: Canada’s economic success is determined by the skills, talents and efforts of Canadians. It can only be assured if children receive quality care from the earliest stages of life and parents are supported to contribute to the economy and to their community.

• Government Option: The Government should focus its resources by redirecting them from other areas.

Response: Public investments in child care services provide a more direct investment in the success of future generations than the spending on debt reduction currently consuming federal surpluses; public investment in quality child care more than pays for itself. NUPGE

More information

The CCAAC has a more detailed report outlining the priority that should be assigned to child care in the 2008 budget. You can download it from their website at:

• Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada