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Following years of false starts, empty promises, and inaction from Liberal and Conservative governments, Parliament took a historic step and voted to support working and middle-class families by moving the NDP’s Early Learning and Child Care Act to third reading.

“Today, opposition parties joined with us to move one step closer to building the foundation for a truly national, non-profit, affordable and high-quality child care program,” said NDP MP Denise Savoie (Victoria). “This minority parliament can leave a strong legacy for all our children by taking these positive steps to support working and middle class families and combat child poverty.”

If passed, Bill C-303 would ensure that federal investments in child care would be made only in high quality, affordable, accessible, and non-profit early learning and child care services.  The Bill would also require accountability from provinces on how the money is spent.

“With big box child care at our doorsteps, this bill is timely and important. We need to make sure that foreign multinational corporations don’t profit off the backs of average Canadian parents,” said NDP Child Care Critic Olivia Chow (Trinity-Spadina).

Reports indicate that 40% of the revenue of ABC Learning Centres, the multinational that has begun its expansion in Canada, comes from public tax dollars.

“Across Canada, parents are struggling to find affordable child care spaces and quality centres for their children,” said Savoie. “We’re putting the priorities of middle class and working families first and addressing their needs with practical solutions like this child care act.”

The NDP Child Care bill will return to Parliament for a third reading vote in February 2008.

From Olivia Chow - For more information visit www.oliviachow.ca