Description

This chapter on child care and Canadian federalism is one of 20 chapters in a 2025 book,"Canadian Federalism: Performance, effectiveness, and legitimacy. Fifth Edition" by Bakvis, H., & Skogstad, G. (Editor)

With a lens of Canadian federalism, this chapter examines changes in child care policies and programs since 2015, with particular focus on the period since the April 2021 federal initiation of CWELCC. Using government documents, secondary sources and key informant interviews, it assesses the causes and impacts of the shifts from the previous Harper government's "open federalism" (2006 - 2015).

The fifth edition of "Canadian Federalism" analyzes the performance, effectiveness, and legitimacy of the Canadian federation’s core components. It explores the socio-economic foundations, institutions, and intergovernmental relations that shape Canadian federalism. Its 20 authors provide diverse assessments of Canadian federal institutions, highlighting different models of federalism.