Highlights

As Canada's 44th General Election begins, CRRU will be providing more resources to help a variety of Canadians understand, interpret and decode child care in the upcoming federal election. Our new Issue file Federal Election 2021 will be updated regularly with party platforms, advocacy positions, media, commentary, and other relevant information as it becomes available. 

New CRRU Blog: Conservatives go back to the future for child care proposals in this federal election
Childcare Resource and Research Unit, 23 August 2021
 
Opinion: Child care will be the defining issue of the election
The Globe and Mail, 21 August 2021

Where the federal parties stand on early learning and child care
Child Care Now, 25 August 2021
In this summary, Child Care Now highlights the positions of four of Canada’s five main federal party platforms and analyzes each of their child care announcements. This brief provides a high level summary of where each party stands on early learning and child care. 

Research, policy and practice

Tax credits vs. direct funding: What’s best for child care?
Generation Squeeze, 25 August 2021
In an article for Generation Squeeze, Gordon Cleveland summarizes the pros and cons of the Liberal Party’s direct funding option to develop a Canada-wide $10 a day child care program and the Conservative Party’s child care tax credit. Cleveland suggests that the direct funding will be more generous in its attempts to lower fees for families and create new licensed child care spaces for generations to come. In contrast, the tax credit may provide immediate assistance to those who are using unlicensed child care, but does not address the creation of new child care spaces. 

The nonprofit sector is the federal government’s partner in building a fair, inclusive, and green recovery for Canadians
Ontario Nonprofit Network, 19 August 2021
As the federal election unfolds, the Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN) highlights in its new policy recommendations the importance of care work in general, and of child care in particular, as critical infrastructure in rebuilding Canada as well as advancing gender equity. The ONN notes that the development of a Canada-wide licensed child care system must commit to non-profit and public sector expansion which has been proven to result in quality care that also meet families’ diverse needs. Specific suggestions include public investments in capital for new and existing not-for-profit spaces, and in start-up/scaling up of non-profit organizations that provide assistance to the building of new non-profit child care spaces.

Campaign catch-up: Child care
First Policy Response, 24 August 2021 
In this campaign catch-up, First Policy Response summarizes the child care positions held by the major political parties and provides reactions from academics and experts of these proposals. They note that one week into the campaign, the division on child care is primarily between the Conservative party and the rest of the political parties. Those opposed to the Conservative proposal argue that it does not do enough to address the structural issues that currently plague the early learning and child-care sector such as the lack of affordable, high quality spaces and the wages and working conditions of the child care workforce.

How much might the CPC childcare credit cost and where is the rest of the federal ELCC money going to go?
Medium, 19 August 2021
Jennifer Robson analyzes the Conservative Party of Canada's (CPC) child care credit, examining families with children’s tax returns and their expenditure on early learning and child care, and accounting for inflation to see how and if the child care credit will reach the CPC’s purported objectives. In conclusion, Robson speculates that almost half the funds put towards the child care credit would flow to higher income families who can already afford to spend the most on child care.

Qualité des soins en services de garde: Un enjeu négligé au Québec
Policy Options, 17 August 2021
In this article, Sophie Mathieu argues that quality needs to be prioritized over expansion in the future developments of Quebec's child care system in light of the newly signed agreement with the federal government. Mathieu draws a distinction between private, for-profit garderies and publicly funded, not-for-profit centre de la petite enfance (CPE), in which the latter has been proven to offer higher quality services. As the Quebec government is presenting its child care proposals in fall 2021, the article outlines four key aspects for advocates and policymakers to ensure that quality care will be at the heart of a child care system delivered through publicly funded CPEs and by a competent, well-compensated workforce.

The government has again rescued the childcare sector from collapse. But short-term fixes still leave it at risk
The Conversation, 23 August 2021
Peter Hunley and Hannah Matthews comment on Australia's new rescue package that offers child care services 25% to 40% of their pre-lockdown revenue following extended restrictions. The authors are concerned that the announced package won’t meet the full cost of closure and will result in parents having to cover the rest, as parent fees remain a significant proportion of services’ revenue in the current market-based funding model. The authors call for a fundamental change to Australia’s approach to child care that would protect the sector from market shocks through publicly funded and delivered services.

Evidence-based message strategies to increase public support for state investment in early childhood education: Results from a longitudinal panel experiment
The Milbank Quarterly, 17 August 2021
A vast body of literature has contributed to knowledge that early childhood education (ECE) has positive long-lasting effects on children and families' health and well-being. Although, the benefits of ECE have met opposition, due to certain people’s ideals of family autonomy, parental responsibility, and government investment in social programs. Therefore, this US study explores how messaging strategies towards state invested ECE can increase public support. It was found that simple advocacy messaging emphasizing affordable, accessible, high-quality child care for all could increase public support and may cause additional positive support spillover in other child care policy issues.

Child care in the news

CA: Opinion: Why universal child care is a better choice than subsidies
Edmonton Journal, 24 August 2021 

CA: The care economy: What’s at stake if we don’t make change now
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 24 August 2021

CA: No knockout punches thrown on campaign trail yet, but keep an eye on childcare
The Hill Times, 23 August 2021

CA: Liberals and NDP both have solid plans for child care. The Conservatives do not 
Toronto Star, 20 August 2021

CA: Erin O’Toole’s child care plan gets failing grade from advocate
The Maple, 18 August 2021
 
NL: Newfoundland and Labrador public consultations
Child Care Now, 11 August 2021
 
NS: Child Care Now Nova Scotia reacts to results of the provincial election
Child Care Now Nova Scotia, 23 August 2021

QC: 9000 nouvelles places en garderie pour nos tout-petits
Radio-Canada, 23 August 2021

ON: Child care advocate weighs in on federal plans
Global News Radio - 640 Toronto, 18 August 2021

ON: Imagine: Universal child care for all
Canadian Union of Public Employees - Ontario, 19 August 2021

SK: What the federal election could do to Saskatchewan’s recent child care agreement
Global News, 19 August 2021

US: Child care is in crisis—We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix it
Oxfam America, 16 August 2021

Events