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A new study ranks Canada last among developed countries in its spending on early childhood education, but one of its authors says throwing money at the problem isn't the solution.
"It's going to take more than simply funding,'' said Stuart Shanker, one of the co-authors of a report released Monday. "There are cost-effective ways to set up parenting centres.''
He described early childhood education programs across the country as a chaotic patchwork of programs and assistance that needs to be organized and sewn together so that every child's parent and caregiver has access.
The report recommends a system of community hubs to offer activities, support for parents, social services and child care.
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Early Years Study 2: Putting Science Into Action, by Dr. Fraser Mustard, Margaret Norrie McCain and Shanker, is a 185-page followup to the groundbreaking 1999 Early Years Study that Mustard and McCain were commissioned to do by Ontario's Conservative government.
The new report was published by the Council for Early Child Development, a not-for-profit group Mustard founded in 2004. Shanker, a professor at York University, is the president of the council.
The Liberals and NDP were quick to point the finger of blame at the federal government for Canada's poor showing.
Ruby Dhalla, the Liberal social development critic, said the Conservative government's failure on child care is hurting Canadian families.
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She said the Liberals had signed agreements with all provinces and territories to create up to 250,000 child-care spaces, but the Conservatives scrapped the plan.
She said she hoped the study will move the government to ensure real child-care programs for all.
A spokeswoman for Monte Solberg, the federal minister of human resources and social development, said the report does not take into account recent action by the federal government.
"This report is evidence that even though the previous Liberal government had 13 years to help early learning, they didn't get it done,'' said Lesley Harmer, Solberg's director of communications.
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Olivia Chow, the NDP children and youth critic, said this report is just another example of how Canada is failing its children.
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The NDP has also called for an annual investment of a minimum of $1.2 billion for child care.
Chow said the First Duty model that she piloted at Bruce School in Toronto's east end when she was the city's children and youth advocate is very similar to the "hub'' referred to in the study that offers activities, support for parents, social services and child care to the community.
Shanker agreed Toronto's Bruce School is an example the country can follow.
"The Bruce School exemplifies everything (we) are talking about,'' he said after a group of researchers studied the school. "It maps out how you get from a state of chaos to a state of coherence.''
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- reprinted from the Canadian Press