Canada is again heading to a federal election, scheduled for October 14th. Early childhood education and care has been an issue in the last two federal elections and it is expected to be again. The Childcare Resource and Research Unit will provide and regularly update information that will be useful to those who wish to follow ECEC in the campaign.

Below you will find useful statistics and reports, Party platforms and press releases, NGO positions statements, and news coverage of ECEC-related election developments.


USEFUL FACTS ABOUT ECEC

 Spaces:  837,923	        Regulated child care spaces for children 0-12 in Canada in (2007)  17.2%		Percentage of children 0-12 for whom there is a regulated space (2006)  19.3%		Percent of children 0-5 for whom there is a regulated space (2006)  Funding:  $950 million 	Federal transfer funds designated for ECEC (2006/07)  $600 million 	Federal transfer funds designated for ECEC (2007/08)  $2.6 billion	Total provincial/territorial spending to regulated child care (2005/06) 		(Note: Provincial/territorial spending includes federal transfers)  $3,259		Average provincial/territorial spending per child care space  $561		Average provincial/territorial spending per child 0-12  Demographics:  4,709,610 	Number of children 0-12 years (2005)  3,050,800 	Children 0-12 years with mothers in the paid labour force (2005)  1,236,400	Children 0-5 years with mothers in the paid labour force (2005)  69% 		Labour force participation rate of mothers with youngest child 0-3 (2005)  76% 		Labour force participation rate of mothers with youngest child 3-5 (2005) 

For more detailed or longitudinal information check reports below.


USEFUL DOCUMENTS

Child care space statistics 2007 [2]
Childcare Resource and Research Unit, March 2008

Trends and Analysis 2007: Early childhood education and care [3]
Childcare Resource and Research Unit, December 2007

Early childhood education and care in Canada 2006 [4]
Martha Friendly, Jane Beach, Carolyn Ferns & Michelle Turiano
Childcare Resource and Research Unit, June 2007

Early learning and child care: How does Canada measure up? [5]
Martha Friendly
Childcare Resource and Research Unit, October 2006


PARTY WEBSITES AND PLATFORMS

Bloc Quebecois:
Bloc website [6]

Bloc platform [7] (see chapter 5 for discussion of family policy)


Conservative Party:
Conservative website [8]

Conservative platform [9] (see pg. 9 for details on indexing of UCCB)

Conservatives enhance $1200 benefit [10]
Press release, October 6, 2008

Extending maternity and parental benefits to self-employed Canadians [11]
Press release, September 15, 2008


Green Party:
Green website [12]

Vision Green: Child care [13]
Excerpt from the Green Party's election platform


Liberal Party:
Liberal website [14]

A fairer Canada [15] (see pg. 4 for "Investing in our Children")
Section of the Liberal Party's election platform

Liberal leader's response to Code Blue's open letter [16]
Letter, September 20, 2008

Liberals commit to universal early education and child care [17]
Press release, September 17, 2008

Liberals announce building of national early learning and child care [18]
Press release, September 17, 2008


New Democratic Party:
NDP website [19]

Layton announces new national child care plan [20]
Press release, September 17, 2008

Child care: NDP's 3-point plan [21]


NGO POSTIONS AND REPORTS

Canadians prefer national child care system to monthly allowance 2 to 1 according to Nanos poll [22]
Nanos Research for the Canadian Union of Public Employees, October 9, 2008

Attitudes towards child care [23]
Environics for Code Blue for Child Care, October 8, 2008

Harper just doesn't get it: Canada still needs child care [24]
Code Blue for Child Care, October 6, 2008

Canadian families do NOT have more child care choice [25]
BC Child Care Advocacy Forum, October 1, 2008

A strong economy needs good child care: Canada can't work without it [26]
Code Blue for Child Care, September 30, 2008

A call for federal action to reduce poverty across Canada [27]
Campaign 2000, September 29, 2008

Advocacy Forum's election greeting: On October 14th vote for child care [28]
BC Child Care Advocacy Forum, September 26, 2008

Harper and child care [29]
Chapter from "The Harper Record"
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, September 23, 2008

Child Care Report Card, Election 2008 [30]
Code Blue for Child Care, September 21, 2008

Stephen Harper, here you go again [31] (video and lyrics)
Code Blue for Child Care, September 22, 2008

Parties must put Canada in the running on child care [32]
Code Blue for Child Care, September 21, 2008

After parental leave &em; Canada still needs child care [33]
Code Blue for Child Care, September 16, 2008

Child care reality check 2008: Fact and fiction [34]
Code Blue for Child Care, September 16, 2008

Canada STILL needs child care (Election 2008) [35]
Code Blue for Child Care, September 15, 2008

Election greetings from the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC [36]
Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC, September 15, 2008

Canada votes 2008! What is the child care strategy for Canada? [37]
Manitoba Child Care Association, September 15, 2008

"Mr. Harper, you forgot the other ninety percent!" says Barbara Byers [38]
Canadian Labour Congress, September 15, 2008

An open letter to the men and woman who lead federal political parties [39]
Child Care Advocacy Association and Code Blue for Child Care, September 10, 2008

Early learning and child care key to Canada's economic future [40]
Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, September 10, 2008

Women and the 2008 federal election: Child care [41]
Ad Hoc Coalition for Women's Equality, September 10, 2008


NEWS COVERAGE

National child care program must be established now [42]
Edmonton Journal, October 9, 2008

Good riddance, national daycare [43]
National Post, October 9, 2008

- Canadians want national child care [43](1)
Letter to the Editor, National Post, October 10, 2008

- Canadians want national child care [44](2)
Letter to the Editor, National Post, October 10, 2008

Child care - forgotten election issue [45]
TVO's The Agenda with Steve Paikin, October 8, 2008

Parents concerned about child care [46]
CTV Canada AM, October 8, 2008

Harper promises modest enhancement to child benefit [47]
CanWest News Service, October 6, 2008

No licensed child care for majority of Canadian kids [48]
Toronto Star, October 5, 2008

Investing in child care now will pay off later [49]
Toronto Star, October 2, 2008

Neglecting child care now will cost us in the long run [50]
Toronto Star, October 2, 2008

NDP would hike corporate taxes, put money in child care and cities [51]
Vancouver Sun, October 2, 2008

'Get smart' on child poverty, leaders told [52]
Toronto Star, September 30, 2008

The federal election, child care: Where they stand [53]
Globe and Mail, September 29, 2008

YWCA gives country a failing grade on women's issues [54]
Canadian Press, September 28, 2008

Parents demand more day care [55]
Ottawa Sun, September 22, 2008

Leaders focus on the children [56]
Globe and Mail, September 17, 2008

Layton, Dion propose rival plans for boosting child care spaces [57]
CBC News September 17, 2008

Mat-leave policy doesn't add up to sound policy [58]
Ottawa Citizen, September 17, 2008

Tories attack Liberals on child care funding [59]
Fredericton Daily Gleaner, September 16, 2008

Spot check: A regular look at the latest ads from the parties -- $1,200 [60]
Canwest News Service, September 11, 2008

Child care crisis an election issue [61]
Elizabeth Smyth, Victoria Times Colonist (letters), September 12, 2008

Moms expecting Tory child care announcement wind up as photo props [62]
Sue Bailey, Canadian Press, September 10, 2008

Liberals to promise more daycare funding: Sources [63]
Sue Bailey, Canadian Press, September 5, 2008