March 25th, 2016
The 2016 Canadian Federal Budget was released on Tuesday March 22nd and here are the details on the future of Canada's national child care framework, directly from the government website:
SUPPORTING EARLY LEARNING AND CHILD CARE
For Canadian families, high-quality, affordable child care is more than a convenience—it’s a necessity. The Government recognizes the deep connection between child care and the economic security of families, and proposes to invest $500 million in 2017–18 to support the establishment of a National Framework on Early Learning and Child Care. Of this amount, $100 million would be for Indigenous child care and early learning on reserve.
Because child care needs vary from family to family, and because provinces and territories have responded to those needs in different ways, the Framework will be designed to meet the needs of Canadian families, wherever they live.
Developing the Framework will begin in 2016–17, and will be a joint effort—the Government, provinces, territories and Indigenous peoples will all contribute to its creation. Investments under the new Framework are expected to flow in 2017–18.
Read the Canadian Child Care Federation's news release for some insight on what this budget means for Canada's child care sector and parents.
The government website also provides a Child Care Benefit calculation tool that would be great to share with the families at your centre.