SPRING FORWARD FOR A NATIONAL CHILD CARE PROGRAM - ACF SPOTLIGHT, SPRING 2005

The Foundation’s long time quest for a truly transformative early learning and child care system in Canada has taken some tentative steps forward along with a few back on the bumpy road to this elusive goal.

The Federal budget, tabled in February by Mr. Goodale, holds some promise for the Government’s pledge to kick-start a long-awaited child care program. 

On the plus side, Mr. Goodale re-announced the Federal government’s five billion commitment over five years and reinforced Minister Ken Dryden’s oft-sited notion that this was a down payment that would require funding beyond the initial five year cycle.

On the down side, it was interesting to note that Mr. Goodale referred to the early learning and childcare announcement as an “initiative” rather than using Mr. Dryden’s bolder commitment to “build a national system.”  As well, the Government chose to put the first year’s allocation into a “trust” account which means that the Feds cannot hold provinces accountable to spend the money on its QUAD approach----quality, universal, accessible, and developmental.   Mr. Goodale claims that the trust account approach is necessary to ensure good accounting practices in protecting the money from year-end surpluses that would go automatically into debt reduction.   Interesting, given that the Auditor General Fraser says this is simply not necessary to protect the funds.

So, unfortunately, the provinces can spend the first billion on anything they so desire.   While I believe that Minister Dryden wants to ensure strong accountability for use of federal dollars by the provinces, the first year will reinforce just the opposite, making it more difficult to get a strong accountability deal, one that would ensure that the long term goal of a not-for-profit, high quality child care system is possible.    It is with this in mind, that likely led Goodale to describe this as an initiative.   Boldness has given way to political tinkering.  We are now faced with a situation where hopes of a truly national and transformative system are not likely be realized for years to come. 

While not the definitive leap that is needed, some steps forward are on the way.  There is still hope that good sense will prevail and that genuine progress will emerge at upcoming meetings between Minister Dryden and his provincial and territorial counterparts.  To help them along, we certainly know that child care advocates across the country will not rest until the deal is done….properly.  For my part, I wish Minister Ken Dryden well in holding firm on the need for genuine accountability. 

But in my view, the national system will evolve, not through Federal leadership alone, but more likely because two or three provinces join Quebec to build innovative approaches to the QUAD system that parents and others start demanding across the country.  Manitoba is already on its way and Ontario’s recent Best Start program announcement provides an optimistic sense of the possibilities.  Ontario Premier McGuinty and his children’s minister, Marie Bountrogianni seem quite committed to accountable movement in the right direction. 

Hope springs eternal say the optimists.  The pessimists are more likely to quote Alice in Wonderland: “Jam yesterday, jam tomorrow, but never jam today!”

Charles E. Pascal, Executive Director

For more on this key goal for a better Canada, click on the following links to pieces written by Roy Romanow, Margaret McCain, and Charles Coffey.

Click here for an Op-ed by Margaret McCain and Roy Romanow arguing that a new national child care program could be as significant to nation-building as Medicare and public education (Feb 4, 2005)

Click here for an Open Letter to Minister Dryden and Provincial/Territorial Social Development Ministers From Charles Coffey and Margaret Norrie McCain (October 2004)

To get involved in making a child care deal in Ontario a reality, check out the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care’s campaigns