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Child Care

The National Union has worked for many years to promote the need for a universal, affordable and high quality Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) program in Canada. Research shows access to quality child care enhances children’s development in every way – intellectually, physically, emotionally and linguistically. The National Union believes the establishment of an ECEC program is an investment in our future and our greatest resource – our children.
 
The National Union also continues to advocate to ensure that early childhood educators are compensated and recognized for the invaluable work they perform with Canada’s children. These dedicated workers often endure low wages, difficult working conditions and high levels of job insecurity. The National Union will continue to highlight the fact that the lack of proper wages and benefits, and the lack of respect and recognition, are driving child care workers and early childhood educators out of their field.
 
 
 
 

Ont. child care cuts will hurt poor kids and kill jobs

'The report shows there’s a lot more at stake than lost child care spaces.' - Andrea Calver.

Full-day kindergarten will start in Ontario next fall

Program will cost $1.5 billion when fully rolled out by 2015, says Premier Dalton McGuinty.

Celebrating child care workers and early childhood educators in Ontario

Oct. 21 marks the ninth annual day of appreciation for child care workers and early childhood educators in Ontario.

Child care programs produce big economic bang

'Over the long term, every $1 invested in quality child care programs returns $2.54 in benefits to society.' - CCAAC.

P.E.I. must continue to fund early learning

'Government needs to step forward with a comprehensive plan to ensure that quality care and education for our young children is here now and in the future.' - Shelley Ward.

Canada's tragic failing grade on child poverty

Dismal 15th ranking out of 17 developed countries. Only Japan and the United States were worse. The top-ranked countries are Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands.

Grim report on early childhood education and care

'The decrease in provincial budget funding for child care is most likely a result of the Harper Conservative government’s 2006 cancellation of the bilateral agreements.'

N.B. child care centres looking at H1N1 insurance

Working with health and social development departments to come up with a plan in case centres are forced to close.

University of BC child care workers vote to join BCGEU

Workers at five new child care centres at University of B.C. have voted to join the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union to make their work place better.

Manitoba boosts child care spending by $11 million

'Child care is a critical piece of the puzzle for many Manitobans these days.' - Gord Mackintosh, family services and housing minister.

Early Learning and Child Care Act reintroduced

NDP again asks Parliament to pass legislation that would lay a foundation for a national child care system. 

New NUPGE leaflet: Our kids gotta come first

Canada has one of the lowest child care access rates in the industrialized world and fees are among the highest.

Just say no to the expansion of for-profit child care

Beware of child care property development/leaseback schemes, proposals to expand for-profit child care and pressure to reduce quality standards.

Women tired of lip service on Equality

Conservative government is paying lip service to improving the lives of women even as it refuses to support pay equity, child care and economic measures that support women's equality.  So the Canadian Labour Congress is sending each Member of Parliament a gift of chocolate lips with an accompanying note - 'women are tired of lip service'.

Effects of Harper's misguided plan for child care becoming glaringly clear

Conservatives' plans in child care leading to shrinking number of child care spaces and they have chosen to ignore the crisis in the recent federal budget.

Stimulus too timid; tax cuts ineffective

(Jan 27, 2009) -- 'Everyone except the prime minister seems to understand that big problems require bold solutions. Canada needs a large-scale fiscal stimulus.'

Child Care

Our kids gotta come first

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Canada ranks last with Ireland in UNICEF child care report

Survey of child care standards in 25 developed countries

A warning: the ABCs of the perils of for-profit child care

The Australian experience should teach the Harper government a lesson

Celebrating child care workers and early childhood educators

Oct. 22 marks the eighth annual day of appreciation for child care workers and early childhood educators

Harper is out of touch and has no plan for Canada

(Oct 9, 2008) -- 'The Harper platform is a vapid document, full of slogans but lacking a substantive plan to tackle the current economic and social challenges.'

Child care campaign making final push to Oct. 14 election

'Time to vote for the party you trust most to deliver a universal, community-based child care system.'

Jack Layton announces new national child care strategy

$1.4 billion to create 150,000 child care spaces

Election 2008: You have the power to change Canada

Check NUPGE's election leaflet and visit our election resource web page

Speak up for a universal child care solution in British Columbia

BCGEU supporting NDP public forum May 6 in Victoria

MGEU serves notice to bargain at 10 child care centres

Groundbreaking step on behalf of 160 workers in the St. Boniface area of Winnipeg

Child care polices of Harper Conservatives are failing badly

New study reveals the smallest increase in regulated child care spaces in some years

Report says one in eight Ontario children living in poverty

Poverty afflicts 12.6% of all Ontario children including 44% of all children in low-income families

MGEU launches important child welfare campaign in Manitoba

Union releases poll information from workers on the front lines as well as public polling data showing widespread concern about lack of funding and resources

Ontario coalition campaigning against 'big-box' child care

Group says 'It's Time for Public Child Care'

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.

B.C. child care regulation changes weaken quality care

BCGEU will continue lobbying for a better system

B.C. ministry redecorates while neglecting abused children

Victoria headquarters renovations supervised by Tom Christensen cost three times original estimates

Code Blue asks Ottawa to stop foreign child care takeover

Arrival of 123 Busy Beavers Learning Centres signals the 'Wal-Martization' of child care in Canada

Celebrating child care workers and early childhood educators

Oct. 24 marks the seventh annual day of appreciation for child care workers and early childhood educators

B.C. woman planning to run 'a million steps' for child care

Shelagh Germyn trekking 260 kilometres from Campbell River to Victoria

B.C. municipalities call for restoration of child care funding

Federal Tories admit tax incentives to create more child care spaces not working

B.C. Chamber of Commerce calls for child care plan

BCGEU says resolution signals 'a significant and positive shift in consciousness' by business community

Harper flip-flop shows tax breaks can't create child care spaces

Tories now plan to give the provinces and territories $250 million with no strings attached

Let's tell Jim Flaherty what Canadians really want in a budget

Finance minister has invited input from Canadians before his new budget is released on March 19

Children will pay the price for cuts to B.C. child care services

Protests across British Columbia against the Harper and Campbell governments

Restore Child Care! Protests planned across British Columbia

'Only a political decision can reverse the cuts, restore funding and build a stronger child care system.' - BCGEU

New study calls Tory child care initiative bad public policy

“Canada ranks lowest among developed nations on child care." - Code Blue Campaign

Campbell Liberals backtrack on commitment to child care

Minister ignores advice from own finance committee and progress board

MPs give Early Learning and Child Care Act second reading

'Bill C-303 should serve as a message to Prime Minister Harper.' - James Clancy

National child care study cites major faults with Harper plan

Situation will worsen in many areas if Conservatives kill $5 billion Liberal program

Canadians reject Tory child allowance, national poll finds

Environics survey shows 76% support for national program like the one the Harper Conservatives are now in the process of scrapping

NDP introduces early learning and child care act in Parliament

MPs in all parties asked to support legislation after years of empty promises, false starts and setbacks

Tory budget makes only minor changes to child care grants

Liberal agreements with provinces will be scrapped; $100 a month payments per child under six will begin; cheques won't trigger clawback of other federal benefits.

One vote in three enough to justify child care plan, Tories say

Two out of every three voters cast ballots for other candidates and options on Jan. 23

Tory $1,200 child care grant: rich folks keep $1,000, poor $300

Caledon Institute says families earning $200,000 may retain triple or more what a single Ontario parent earning $30,000 will keep after taxes and clawbacks

Canadian Labour Congress puts May Day focus on child care

'A compelling reminder of all the reasons workers and their unions mobilize and struggle for equality and quality of life.'

Harper vows to go his own way on child care despite critics

Prime Minister dares opposition parties to defeat Conservative minority in Parliament

Majority of Albertans are opposed to Harper child care plans

'Our poll shows that only 35 % of Albertans agree.' - PIA and AFL

Harper will hear about child care during visit to Manitoba

'The Prime Minister must honour the agreements that the federal government made with the provinces.'

Throne speech contains scant detail on Tory child care plans

No hint of compromise on unpopular plan to kill $5-billion plan negotiated with the provinces by the previous government

YWCA study finds support for national child care program

Community task forces conclude that Harper Conservatives are out of sync with broadly held Canadian views

The Caledon Institute's critical look at Harper's child care plan

Main beneficiaries will be affluent, single-earner, two-parent families

Code Blue for Child Care: sign open letter to Stephen Harper

Conservative government failing to listen to the wishes of most Canadian citizens

Keep the child care promise

(Feb 20, 2006) -- 'In keeping the child care promise, Stephen Harper can demonstrate leadership and a mastery of statecraft that would serve him very well when he next goes to the polls. Does he have it in him?'

More than 800,000 Canadians now depend on food banks

Survey of food banks and emergency food programs

Jack Layton releases New Democratic Party election platform

'Affordable, responsible and fits inside a balanced budget, each and every year.'

Child care advocates alarmed at Conservative proposals

Children and families deserve more than empty Tory promises