The contributions of this book were originally presented at the "Good child care in Canada for the 21st century: Preparing the policy map" symposium in May 1999. The event allowed an interdisciplinary collection of academics and policy experts to debate and examine issues in advancing a comprehensive child care strategy in Canada. Seven key topics were discussed:

- Child care and the Social Union: Who should do what?
- What the rest of Canada can learn from Quebec and from other countries
- What is good quality child care and how do we get it?
- How will good child care services be delivered: Education system or community services?
- What family policies are needed to complement universal child care?
- Single parents, child poverty, and children at risk: What special child care policies are needed?
- Child care workers: What qualifications, pay, and organizations should they have?