Description:

Code Blue for Child Care has re-established a new website to keep advocates and families informed and updated during the 2011 federal election.

Code Blue for Child Care is a cross-Canada campaign to make child care a central election issue in this federal election and to elect a government committed to a national child care system. The campaign brings together national, provincial/territorial child care organizations, labour and women's organizations, social justice and anti-poverty groups - Canadians from all walks of life.

Their goal is a universal early childhood education and care system available to all Canadians who want to use it, regardless of their work status, income, ethnicity, ability/disability. They want high quality affordable public and non-profit services that meet parents' and children's needs

Code Blue for Child Care is calling on political parties to commit to:
-A long-term goal of a high quality universal child care system by 2020, beginning the first phase immediately upon forming government;
-Federal leadership, including legislation setting out the principles of the pan-Canadian child care system;
-Substantial funding to provinces/territories so they can begin creating child care systems based on public funding, public/non-profit expansion and public plans;
-Good options for parents, including a choice of high quality affordable early childhood education and care programs, improved parental leave and adequate income.
-Within these broad recommendations, we acknowledge Quebec's right to develop social programs and applaud the leadership it has shown in initiating its child care system.