On November 28 and 29, 2024, organizations representing Canada’s Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) sector outside of Quebec, alongside policy experts and child care advocates gathered in Ottawa for a Summit on the $10aDay Child Care Plan.
The goal of the Summit was to assess the implementation of the plan initiated by the federal government in 2021, and to identify what governments must do to make high-quality ELCC programs more available and accessible to families.
The Summit participants celebrated the significant progress made in a very short time.
The reduction in parent fees has been described as a “gamechanger,” offering much-needed financial relief to families and enabling parents – particularly mothers – to re-enter the workforce or pursue education. The economic impact has also been substantial, contributing an estimated $32 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2024 alone.
However, Summit participants found more must be done to realize the full potential of the $10aDay system. Summit participants agreed on three key priorities:
- Implement workforce strategies, including wage grids, benefits and pension, in order to significantly improve the compensation and working conditions of early childhood educators and other staff.
- Increase the supply of not-for-profit and public ELCC programs to make programs more available and give families child care options.
- Provide licensed child care operators full and sufficient public funding based on the cost of operating high-quality and inclusive ELCC programs.
The Summit’s concluding statement includes a clear call to action for governments:
We call on governments to act without delay to sustain and strengthen the $10aDay Child Care system. Specifically, we urge that they fast-track the negotiation and signing of the next five-year federal/provincial/territorial funding agreements, and that these agreements include provisions supported by sufficient funding from both levels of government:
- to significantly increase the supply of not-for-profit and public early learning and child care through government-led, financed and planned expansion initiatives;
- to develop and implement, in consultation with the early learning and child care sector, measures to support the early learning and child care workforce, including wage grids, benefits and pension plans;
- to develop and put in place cost-based operational funding formulas to finance high quality and inclusive early learning and child care, and that allow for parent fees to be a maximum of $10aDay.
Finally, participants emphasized the importance of raising public awareness about the success and ongoing potential of the $10aDay Child Care Plan. Governments are urged to undertake public-facing campaigns to highlight the economic and human impacts of affordable child care on Canadian families and communities.
The Summit reaffirmed that $10aDay Child Care is essential social infrastructure – a foundation that supports gender equality, economic participation and the well-being of children and families. Strengthening and expanding the $10aDay Child Care system will ensure that no one is left behind.
Childcarenow.ca
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