About

Who We Are

Child Care Now is dedicated to advocating for a publicly funded, inclusive, quality, non-profit child care system. Our organization is non-profit, membership-based and regionally representative.

Where We Began

We were founded after the second national child care conference held in Winnipeg in 1982. There, over 700 delegates from all provinces and territories called for an effective voice to pursue child care issues at the federal level and promote a broad consensus within all regions of Canada. Although incorporated under the name Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada (CCAAC) / L’Association canadienne pour la promotion des services de garde l’enfance, in 2017, we decided to carry on our work under a new name: Child Care Now in English and Un Enfant Une Place in French.

Today, Child Care Now continues to work with provincial and territorial child care organizations and a broad range of other groups including unions, anti-poverty organizations, employers, municipalities, and those advocating for human and women’s rights. In 2013, we worked with our allies to develop the Guiding Principles for Child Care Advocates drawing on our extensive experience building partnerships through the last 30 years.

Our Structure

We are supported by a broad membership base of individuals, families, child care programs, regional and pan-Canadian groups and organizations, and are overseen by a voluntary Board of Directors.

Our central office is located in Ottawa.

What We Stand For

We believe…

• Child care is a cornerstone of progressive policy for children and families.
• Children and families have the right to access a child care system supported by public funds.
• Canadians deserve a comprehensive and affordable child care system that is high quality, inclusive, and non-profit.
• Families deserve a range of child care services for young and school age children.
• Those working in child care must have decent work, wages and working conditions.

What We Do

Public Education

We keep Canadians informed about the latest news on child care issues and advocacy — federally and across the country.

Child Care Now prepares a range of fact sheets, backgrounders and briefs on key issues. Our staff and leadership speak at conferences, deliver workshops and speak on the issues in the news media.

Political Action

Child Care Now organizes activities, initiates campaigns and works with other pan-Canadian organizations to raise the profile of child care as a political issue and generate support for our aims.

We develop proposals for federal, provincial and territorial government action, advocate through briefs and submissions to government and lobby all major federal parties. We respond to the growing threat from commercial child-care chains and we work with partner organizations to support initiatives that encourage the well-being of Canadian families including social justice campaigns related to poverty, women, education and health.

Our latest campaign, Child Care For All, aims to mobilize Canadians across the country in support of urgent action to address the child care crisis. With so many families struggling to find safe, decent care they can afford, we’re spreading the word that Canadians shouldn’t have to wait any longer.

Our Board of Directors

The CCAAC Board of Directors strives to be regionally representative. Each member is connected with provincial or territorial advocacy organizations and networks and is chosen from the membership in that jurisdiction.

By strengthening CCAAC’s links to established provincial/territorial child care advocacy organizations and networks, and developing new ones, CCAAC Board members facilitate a coordinated, pan-Canadian mobilization around child care advocacy initiatives. Meet our Board of Directors.

Political Action

The CCAAC believes that sustained political action is key to building support for a universal, pan-Canadian child care system.

We organize activities, initiate campaigns and work with other pan-Canadian organizations to raise the profile of child care as a political issue and generate support for our aims. We advocate specific solutions to child care issues through briefs and submissions to government, as well as lobbying all major federal parties.

Our commitment: to promote the shared vision of a universal, pan-Canadian child care system that meets the needs of all children and parents.

Our Key Activities

• Promote a vision of early childhood education and care (ECEC) based on child care as a right of every child
• Monitor and respond to policy developments
• Raise public awareness of child care
• Support provincial and territorial initiatives in line with our policy aims
• Work with federal opposition parties to keep child care on the public agenda
• Respond to the growing threat of commercial child care chains

Find Out More

Our resources section — which will be coming soon — will include links to CCAAC research papers, public and government briefing documents, fact sheets, bulletins, and annual reports.