Media Release: Alternative Federal Budget recommends a necessary increase in funding for $10-a-Day spaces and strategy to expand school aged spaces

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Led by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), the Alternative Federal Budget (AFB) recommends investment and spending across several social programs, funded by an increase in income tax for the highest-income earners (earning over $1 million annually).

More public spending to expand and strengthen the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) program is one of many recommendations and budget items actioned in its AFB document.

More public funding needed to expand spaces and compensate workforce

Pointing to the economic benefits gained under the first years of the CWELCC program, the Alternative Federal Budget asserts that “More capital funding, better government planning, and active leadership is needed to support the creation of not-for-profit and public child care.” 

The actions outlined will support provinces and territories to reach space targets by March 2031, with enough spaces in each province for at least 65% of children under the age of 6.

The AFB allocates an additional $19.5 billion over three years:

  • $9 billion to the Early Learning and Child Care Workforce funds ($10 billion over 5 years)
  • $10.5 billion to boost the Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund ($15 billion over 5 years)
  • $10 million to develop a strategy for school-age child care system to age 12
  • $15 million for an ELCC Data Strategy
  • $20 million for an ELCC research program to evaluate policy and program change

The AFB adds that “urgent action is required by the federal government to stop the growth of for-profit child care that is funded by public money.”

AFB Actions

The actions outlined in the Alternative Federal Budget will 

  • support the creation of sufficient net new full-time spaces for children under six years by March 31, 2031, operated by not-for-profit providers and public sector entities, or Indigenous governments and organizations.
  • require that each provincial and territorial government develop a five-year government-led expansion plan with specific targets and strategies to reach a 65 per cent coverage target. 
  • require each provincial and territorial government to expand the size of the child care workforce, raise recruitment and retention rates, and increase the proportion of staff who have early childhood education and post secondary diplomas and degrees.
  • Amend the Child Care Expansion Loan Program with a comprehensive Child Care Infrastructure Program (CCIP)
  • Co-locate licensed child care in federally supported housing projects
  • convene and support the development of a comprehensive strategy, by March 31, 2027, to build a public school-age child care system for children until age 12. 
  • Develop, fund and operationalize a comprehensive Canada-wide early learning and child care data and research strategy to monitor and report publicly on progress
  • Fund an early learning and child care research program
  • Require every provincial and territorial government that is part of cWELCC to issue a comprehensive public report in each year
  • Require the federal government to produce an annual public report on the overall progress of all elements of the CWELCC

Read the Alternative Federal Budget.

Read the CCPA media release.