Child Care Now has called on members of the Senate standing committee studying the federal government’s proposed child care legislation to amend Bill C-35 so as to ensure federal funds for early learning and child care (ELCC) are directed only to regulated and licensed child care programs.
During her appearance before the Senate Committee, Child Care Now Executive Director Morna Ballantyne urged speedy passage of the Bill but expressed concern that if early learning and child care is not properly defined a future government might use the law to authorize public funding of informal unregulated child care arrangements.
Ballantyne also encouraged the Senate Committee to undertake a study of the implementation of commitments made in the Federal/Provincial-Territorial Canada-wide early learning and child care funding agreements and assess the progress with respect to making ELCC more affordable, available and inclusive of all children.