Excerpts
Summary
This enactment sets out the Government of Canada’s vision for a Canada-wide early learning and child care system. It also sets out the Government of Canada’s commitment to maintaining long-term funding relating to early learning and child care to be provided to the provinces and Indigenous peoples. Finally, it creates the National Advisory Council on Early Learning and Child Care.
Preamble
Whereas the Government of Canada, recognizing the beneficial impact of early learning and child care on child development, on the well-being of children and of families, on gender equality, on the rights of women and their economic participation and prosperity and on Canada’s economy and social infrastructure, is committed to supporting the establishment and maintenance of a Canada-wide early learning and child care system, including before- and after-school care;
Whereas the Government of Canada recognizes the role of the provinces and Indigenous peoples in providing early learning and child care programs and services and is committed to cooperating, collaborating, and maintaining partnerships with them in order to support them in providing such programs and services that are affordable, inclusive and of high quality, including by entering into agreements respecting funding;
Whereas the Government of Canada is committed to continuing to work in collaboration with the provinces and Indigenous peoples on a Canada-wide early learning and child care system that contributes to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, to implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and to meeting Canada’s international human rights obligations, including those under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
Whereas the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework sets out principles to guide the Government of Canada and the governments of the provinces in achieving the vision of all children in Canada having access to quality early learning and child care programs and services that support their development and enable them to reach their full potential;
Whereas the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework, which was co-developed by the Government of Canada and Indigenous peoples, sets out the principles to guide all interested parties in achieving the vision that all First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and families are supported by a comprehensive and coordinated early learning and child care system that is rooted in Indigenous knowledge, cultures and languages and led by Indigenous peoples;
Whereas the Government of Canada is committed to continuing to implement the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework and the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework and to achieving the goals set out in them;
Whereas the Government of Canada is committed to achieving reconciliation with First Nations, the Inuit and the Métis through renewed nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown and government-to-government relationships based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership;
Whereas the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action calls for the federal, provincial and Indigenous governments to develop culturally appropriate early childhood education programs for Indigenous families;
And whereas the Government of Canada recognizes the importance of engaging with civil society, including parents, guardians, tutors and other stakeholders, to assist it in its efforts to support a Canada-wide early learning and child care system;
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