Introduction
Canadian families in rural communities face many challenges in finding quality early childhood education and care opportunities for their children. Like families throughout the country, rural families appreciate the positive social and educational experiences that their children can encounter in quality early childhood education settings. This, combined with the need for flexible child care due to atypical and seasonal working hours and the necessity for child care to address the safety issues of children on farms, makes the lack of rural spaces a pressing concern for many families in rural Canada. This description of the experience of one parent highlights the safety concerns of family life on the farm, as well the benefits that quality rural child care can offer. Meanwhile, new research evidence has emerged indicating that quality child care can have profound economic benefits for both rural families and their communities.
The issue file features online reports, news articles and useful websites about rural child care issues in Canada. Items are listed from most recent to least recent with undated materials at the end of each section. Additional materials will be added as they become available.