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The number of new spots created across the country under the federal child-care program will fall short of targets, says a report that comes just days before provincial ministers are set to meet to discuss progress.
While the provinces were to add a total of more than 284,000 spaces by the end of this March, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says, estimates indicate they’ve fallen short by about 90,000.
Ontario, however, is expected to come close or hit its goal, along with Quebec and British Columbia, says the report, to be released Tuesday morning.
Overall, the “provinces are going to come up short,” said David Macdonald of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives on his report on the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care program, also known as CWELCC.
“That being said, the CWELCC program has absolutely supported expansion, and (while the number of spots) could have been better, the program’s not over — everyone has signed up for at least another year, if not five. There’s room for improvement.”
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