Excerpts from the Submission:
We recommend that the federal government create a system of Early Childhood Education and Care programs across Canada for every child 0-12 (outside school hours) whose parent so chooses. Targets and timetables must be established and priorities, such as ages of children, level of coverage, must be identified. These programs must be accessible to children of every level of ability and all backgrounds; designed to meet the needs of working parents; affordable for every family who wishes to participate; and of high educational quality to give every child an opportunity to learn and develop to the best of his/her ability &em; truly "educational" in the broadest sense.
This vision should be presented to provinces/territories as a priority for the expenditure of federal funds. Based on discussion with these governments, the federal government will come to new bilateral or multilateral agreements that represent the interests of Canadians. These would direct funding to building a national system of early childhood education and child care in ways that are mutually agreeable to all governments and to Canadians. At least $1.2 billion additional annual expenditures must be allocated.