Bill C-35 (Historical)

Canada Early Learning and Child Care Act

An Act respecting early learning and child care in Canada

This bill is from the 44th Parliament, 1st session, which ended in January 2025.

Sponsor

Karina Gould Liberal

Status

This bill has received Royal Assent and is now law.

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament has also written a full legislative summary of the bill.

This enactment sets out the Government of Canada’s vision for a Canada-wide early learning and child care system. It also sets out the Government of Canada’s commitment to maintaining long-term funding relating to early learning and child care to be provided to the provinces and Indigenous peoples. Finally, it creates the National Advisory Council on Early Learning and Child Care.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other C-35s:

C-35 (2021) Canada Disability Benefit Act

C-35 (2016) Law Appropriation Act No. 4, 2016-17

C-35 (2014) Law Justice for Animals in Service Act (Quanto's Law)

C-35 (2012) Law Appropriation Act No. 1, 2012-13

Votes

Feb. 29, 2024 Passed Motion for closure

June 19, 2023 Passed 3rd reading and adoption of Bill C-35, An Act respecting early learning and child care in Canada

June 12, 2023 Passed Concurrence at report stage of Bill C-35, An Act respecting early learning and child care in Canada

June 12, 2023 Failed Bill C-35, An Act respecting early learning and child care in Canada (report stage amendment)

June 6, 2023 Passed Time allocation for Bill C-35, An Act respecting early learning and child care in Canada

Feb. 1, 2023 Passed 2nd reading of Bill C-35, An Act respecting early learning and child care in Canada

Debate Summary

This is a computer-generated summary of the speeches below. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.

Bill C-35 aims to establish a Canada-wide early learning and child care system through federal funding and collaboration with provinces and territories. It seeks to ensure affordable, accessible, high-quality, and inclusive child care, guided by principles outlined in the bill. A national advisory council would be created to support the implementation and goals of the act.

Liberal

Strong support for bill C-35: The Liberal speakers voiced strong support for Bill C-35, emphasizing its role in establishing a Canada-wide early learning and child care system. They highlighted the bill's potential to ensure that affordable, accessible, high-quality, and inclusive child care is available to families across the country, comparing it in significance to the Canada Health Act.
Affordability is key: Liberals emphasized that affordable child care is life-changing for Canadian families, enabling parents to afford necessities and increasing women's participation in the workforce. They noted the success of Quebec's early learning and child care system as a model.
Addresses labour shortage: Speakers argued the bill addresses the labour shortage by enabling more parents, especially women, to enter the workforce. They cited estimates showing a significant return on investment, boosting the GDP and providing economic benefits.
Protecting the program: Liberals highlighted the importance of the bill in protecting the national child care program from potential future cuts by other parties. They contrasted their commitment to the program with the Conservative Party's past actions, such as the cancellation of child care agreements in 2006, and what they characterized as current opposition to affordable child care.

Conservative

Not truly universal: Conservative speakers repeatedly emphasized that the bill does not address the needs of all families, particularly those in rural areas and those who prefer alternative child care arrangements. Several speakers noted that over half the children in Canada live in 'child care deserts' and would not benefit from the bill.
Lack of choice: Members argued that the bill restricts parental choice by prioritizing government and not-for-profit spaces over private and home-based care. They criticized the Liberal-NDP coalition for rejecting amendments aimed at including all types of child care providers and giving parents the freedom to choose what works best for their families.
Addresses wrong priorities: Speakers contended that the bill focuses on affordability while neglecting more pressing issues such as accessibility and availability of child care spaces. They highlighted long wait-lists, labor shortages, and the failure to address the needs of shift workers and families with unique circumstances.
Inequitable access: Several speakers criticized the bill for creating a two-tiered system where families who can afford more expensive care have more options, while those who cannot may receive substandard care. They expressed concern that the bill does not target lower-income families effectively and may even disadvantage them.
No strategy for workforce: Many speakers pointed out that the bill fails to address the labor shortage in the child care sector. They noted that the Liberal-NDP coalition rejected amendments aimed at supporting the recruitment and retention of qualified early childhood educators, undermining the long-term viability of the child care system.

NDP

Supports Bill C-35: The NDP supports Bill C-35, the Canada Early Learning and Child Care Act, and urges all parties to pass it. They believe this bill is an important step towards building a permanent national system of $10-a-day child care and enshrining the agreements into legislation so that future governments cannot easily reverse the policy.
Improved by NDP amendments: The NDP is proud to have improved the bill through amendments that include stronger reporting requirements, more inclusive language for children with disabilities and those from official language minority communities, recognition of the impact of working conditions on care, and upholding indigenous peoples' right to free, prior and informed consent.
Prioritize non-profit/public: The NDP supports the explicit prioritization of non-profit and public child care for federal funding, and hopes to stop federal money being used to expand for-profit child care. The party believes that public money should be invested in public institutions, because it is better for workers and children.
Child care workforce crisis: The NDP emphasizes the child care workforce crisis, with workers receiving inadequate wages and benefits, and enduring difficult working conditions. They assert that unless these issues are addressed, the success of a national child care system is at risk and call for a clear strategy to ensure an increase of those working in child care. Without them, we will never see improvements for generations to come.

Bloc

Supports the bill: The Bloc supports Bill C-35, despite concerns about federal overreach into provincial jurisdiction. They acknowledge the bill excludes Quebec from federal family policy for five years and provides compensation.
Quebec's leadership: The Bloc emphasizes Quebec's established and successful early childhood education model, which they believe should be recognized and respected. They argue the federal government should not impose conditions on Quebec, especially since the province's program is being used as a model.
Protecting provincial jurisdiction: The Bloc stresses that education and family policies are provincial responsibilities and opposes federal interference. They express concern that the bill does not adequately protect Quebec's right to opt out of the federal program with full compensation and manage its own policies.
Missed opportunities: The Bloc feels the bill should have incorporated Quebec's expertise and allowed the province to fully opt out with financial compensation, but amendments to that effect were rejected. Members expressed disappointment that Quebec's role was relegated to the preamble of the bill.

Independent

Accessibility concerns: The bill does not address accessibility and may not deliver on its promises. The $10-a-day child care plan does little to address labour shortages and the lack of child care spaces, potentially not helping families on waitlists or operators lacking staff and infrastructure.
Discrimination against women: The bill is discriminatory towards women, as it prevents growth opportunities for privately run female child care operators. The bill also fails to address how more women can return to work when there are no child care spots available and waitlists are years long.
Address labour shortages: There are not enough qualified staff to keep existing child care centers running at full capacity, let alone operate new spaces. Not enough students enter the ECE programs across Canada to support any growth, and it remains difficult to retain staff without the financial incentive to work in the field.
Need for inclusivity: The bill can be improved by making it more inclusive, deleting references to public and not-for-profit child care providers, and considering guidance for advisory council members to avoid conflicts of interest. Additional specificity surrounding the composition of the advisory council with respect to regional representation as well as representation by female entrepreneurs and those involved in the direct delivery of licensed child care services should be considered.

Green

Strong support for Bill C-35: The bill aims to establish a system of early learning and child care to promote the development of young children, addressing the need for accessible, affordable, inclusive, and high-quality child care.
Need to improve worker compensation: While supportive, there are concerns about the insufficient payment for child care workers, and ensuring that early learning and child care educators are recognized and properly compensated is critical.
Government gamesmanship: There is criticism of the government's use of time allocation and the broader parliamentary process, where partisan gamesmanship and the reading of prepared speeches detract from meaningful debate on important legislation like Bill C-35.

Was this summary helpful and accurate?

Motion in AmendmentCanada Early Learning and Child Care ActGovernment Orders

May 31st, 2023 / 7:20 p.m.

NDP

Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB

Madam Speaker, I am happy we have a $10-a-day national child care strategy being put into place, but it will not be a successful program. It will not be rolled out properly without a comprehensive workforce strategy, which includes ensuring that early childhood educators are paid livable wages and benefits and have some sort of income security in retirement. If we do not respect the workers who are looking after children, how do we expect the national child care strategy to ever get off the ground properly?

Motion in AmendmentCanada Early Learning and Child Care ActGovernment Orders

May 31st, 2023 / 7:20 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON

Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her intervention. I enjoy working with her at committee and in the process of listening to witness testimony.

An amendment was put forward by the member to add “free, prior and informed consent” with respect to indigenous peoples. This amendment is very similar to what Conservatives believe, which is that parents should be able to choose what is right for their children and family. The Liberals voted against that motion.

My question for the member is this: How can she trust the Liberals when they voted against that very amendment that allows indigenous peoples to choose what is it right for their children?

Motion in AmendmentCanada Early Learning and Child Care ActGovernment Orders

May 31st, 2023 / 7:20 p.m.

NDP

Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB

Madam Speaker, it goes back to legislation. We need to negotiate a piece of legislation to enshrine it into law.

This is about law. I was very happy to see support from the Conservatives, the Bloc and members of the Liberal Party, in fact, for my amendment to include “free, prior and informed consent” on all matters relating to the children of indigenous peoples, something we know historically has not been done. It is fundamental to self-determination, and in fact it is in the framework agreement.

That is why we are pushing for legislation. That is why we need to vote for this legislation and put it in place. We need to make sure that it is enshrined in law going forward.

Motion in AmendmentCanada Early Learning and Child Care ActGovernment Orders

May 31st, 2023 / 7:25 p.m.

NDP

Lisa Marie Barron NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her endless important work in this area.

I wonder if my colleague can clarify this. We all know of the dismal pay that child care workers are receiving, despite a lengthy education and working so tirelessly to support our children and future generations. I wonder if the member can share with us today what her thoughts are around what needs to be done to ensure that qualified individuals will be placed in these vital positions for our children as we move forward.

Motion in AmendmentCanada Early Learning and Child Care ActGovernment Orders

May 31st, 2023 / 7:25 p.m.

NDP

Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB

Madam Speaker, I think it is very simple. It is very clear. Certainly the sector leaders like Child Care Now and all the major child care organizations have been very clear that if we want a successful national child care strategy, we need to ensure that we have a strategy for workers. That includes ensuring that early childhood educators are provided with livable wages and benefits and have income security in their retirement.

We also need a strategy to train new workers entering the field, one that provides education to become qualified early childhood educators.

The solutions are there. The government just needs to listen.

Motion in AmendmentCanada Early Learning and Child Care ActGovernment Orders

May 31st, 2023 / 7:25 p.m.

Winnipeg North Manitoba

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Madam Speaker, what a pleasure it is to rise and speak to such important legislation. I suggest that what we are talking about this evening is historical legislation. If we take a look at it from the perspective of the Canada Health Act, the Canada Health Act has ensured that we have the health care system we have today. That is the way I look at Bill C-35.

Bill C-35 is a very powerful statement. It is a statement to all Canadians, no matter where they live from coast to coast to coast, that says the government recognizes child care is of the utmost importance. Having a national program will make a difference in a very real and tangible way.

Bill C-35 would put into place an act to ensure early learning and child care is there not only today but for future generations. It ensures that the federal government recognizes that it has a very important role to play. Not only will it be providing money, but there will be a higher sense of public accountability and transparency. It will ensure there is an affordability element to child care, no matter where one happens to live in Canada.

This is something that I believe will make a positive difference, and we have already seen some early results. When the minister talked about the bill an hour or so ago, she talked about the number and percentage of women in the workforce today. There are record numbers in North America. We have more women entering into the workforce than we ever have. That is going to continue to grow. We know that, because we can look at the province of Quebec to see how successful its program has been. We have taken what has happened in the province of Quebec and amplified it to apply across the country. Everyone wins.

I do not quite understand the Conservative Party's position. It was long ago when we attempted to do this before. That would have been 20 years ago. Unfortunately, the first thing the Harper government did was rip up the idea, the agreements and the thoughts on this. As a result, it set back a generation or two of people who would have received good-quality child care, not to mention what I suspect would have been better wages and resources for child care workers. Because there was no legislative component to this, Stephen Harper had a very easy time destroying it.

Let us flash back to just a couple of years ago, when there were 338 Conservative candidates running around in the federal election. What was the Conservative Party saying then? We did not have full agreement from all the provinces at that time, but even at that point, less than two years ago, the federal Conservative Party was saying that it did not support this and that it would also rip it up. If we contrast the Conservatives with us, it is night and day. They do not support affordable, quality child care.

What we have done since the election is accomplish an agreement with all of the provinces and territories, along with indigenous communities. That means provincial and territorial parties that are not only Liberal. They are Conservative and NDP. When I say “Conservative” I mean Progressive Conservative. I should qualify that because the current Conservative Party is a very far right Conservative Party.

Motion in AmendmentCanada Early Learning and Child Care ActGovernment Orders

May 31st, 2023 / 7:25 p.m.

An hon. member

Oh, oh!

Motion in AmendmentCanada Early Learning and Child Care ActGovernment Orders

May 31st, 2023 / 7:25 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Madam Speaker, the member who is laughing understands exactly what I am saying. One only needs to read her comments.

I think it is a positive thing that we have been encouraged by the Conservative Party to bring in this legislation. However, from my personal perspective, even if the Conservative Party was supporting the concept of affordable, quality child care, I would still be advocating for legislation of this nature because it is good legislation.

If the Conservative Party was not so far to the right, I would be advocating for it, but with today's Conservative Party, it even becomes more important to have this legislation. I listened to the shadow minister. We do not call them critics; we call them shadow ministers. It is kind of scary when we stop to think about how the Conservatives are going to vote on this legislation. If we listen to the critic, we would think they are going to be voting against it.

I look at that, as I know many of my colleagues do, and ask who they are actually listening to. Obviously it is not their constituents. Instead, they try to give a false impression that this is broken. They then go on to talk about all the day care and child care problems, being very critical of the provinces, which have the responsibility of providing child care systems. I wonder if they have the support of the provinces to rip up things of this nature that we are proposing. I wonder if the provinces are aware of just how critical the Conservative Party of Canada is in regard to the performance of provincial governments across this country and those in the territories, because that is who its members are criticizing. We finally have a federal government, a national government, that has a vision of progress, of moving Canada forward on child care, yet we have a Conservative Party that has an attitude of “No, not here in Canada”. It does not want money being spent, which we hear constantly coming from the Conservative Party.

Yes, there is a cost to this. I recognize there is a cost going into the billions of dollars, and I think that is what offends Conservative Party members at the national level. However, let me suggest that if they open their eyes and try to get a better understanding of both the social and economic impact of a progressive policy of this nature, maybe they will do one of their traditional flip-flops, support the legislation and go against what they campaigned about on this issue. We all know the flip-flop they have taken on the price on pollution. Here is another good flip-flop for them, but a flip-flop in a positive way, where they would be supporting a national child care program. That would be encouraging to see the Conservative Party do.

Let us think of the economic advantage. We would have more people in the workforce. We would be making a more equal playing field. Many more women would be able to plan a career and not need to worry about the cost of day care, child care or early learning. These are the advantages. When they get into the workforce, they will be paying taxes, taxes that in all likelihood they might not have been paying because they did not have affordable child care. It is healthier for the economy.

There are parents who have their children in $10-a-day child care. We talk about other issues in Canada, things like inflation. This is helping families today in a very real and tangible way by putting thousands of dollars in their pockets, yet the Conservatives do not like the idea. They need to really start thinking about how society would benefit. It is not just the family who would benefit; it is everyone. All of us benefit when we have programs of this nature.

Bill C-35, in essence, ensures we will continue to have a national child care program and a national commitment to financing and contributing to the care of children. That is a good thing. I hope the Conservatives will flip-flop on this issue and support it.

I see the member is already standing to ask a question. I hope she will give a commitment to support the legislation. That is the question I would pose to her.

Motion in AmendmentCanada Early Learning and Child Care ActGovernment Orders

May 31st, 2023 / 7:35 p.m.

An hon. member

Bring it home.

Motion in AmendmentCanada Early Learning and Child Care ActGovernment Orders

May 31st, 2023 / 7:35 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON

Mr. Speaker, I love to hear the Liberals say the Conservative slogan “Bring it home”. It is great to hear them say it.

I received a message this morning from Melissa. Melissa wrote to me and said that she has not been able to find child care since she moved to Peterborough in August. She is looking for before-and-after care for her two kids. The wait-list is crazy. There are 75 kids on the wait-list. She was lucky enough to find a job that allows her to work during the hours her children are in school, but she had to cut down on working full time due to a lack of availability of child care.

I am curious what the member opposite would say to Melissa.

Motion in AmendmentCanada Early Learning and Child Care ActGovernment Orders

May 31st, 2023 / 7:35 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Speaker, I would say to Melissa that the Conservative Party has no ideas. It does not even want to contribute. It does not understand and appreciate what a national program is.

For the very first time, we have a national government demonstrating that it wants to contribute to addressing the issue of child care. That has been a long time coming, and part of the fear is that the Conservatives might try to get rid of that step forward.

I would suggest to Melissa that she might want to consider voting for any other political party but Conservative. Otherwise, child care would be going backward, and that would not be a good thing.

Motion in AmendmentCanada Early Learning and Child Care ActGovernment Orders

May 31st, 2023 / 7:35 p.m.

Bloc

Sylvie Bérubé Bloc Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. However, he was very critical of the Conservatives.

The Liberal government also deserves some criticism for not taking into account the fact that Quebec is a model.

On top of that, the contract is for a period of five years. What is the government going to do after that? I think it is looking for a fight between Quebec and Ottawa.

Motion in AmendmentCanada Early Learning and Child Care ActGovernment Orders

May 31st, 2023 / 7:35 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Speaker, the member will recall from the comments I made that we looked at how successful the program in Quebec was and saw Quebec is leading the country on the issue. We knew if we took the idea from Quebec and applied it universally from coast to coast to coast, we would see some very positive results, like affordable, quality child care and more women being engaged in the workforce. We are already witnessing that. A number of provinces are already at $10-a-day day care, and we have the highest percentage in North America of women engaged in the workforce. This is just the beginning, recognizing that Quebec has led the way.

One of the nice things about being in a federal system is that when one province does something and excels at it, Ottawa has the opportunity to promote, encourage and, in this case, take specific action so that future generations will benefit, as with the program that was introduced by the Province of Quebec. I love the fact that the Province of Quebec brought in the program.

Motion in AmendmentCanada Early Learning and Child Care ActGovernment Orders

May 31st, 2023 / 7:40 p.m.

NDP

Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have sat in the chamber listening, and the Conservatives have put up speaker after speaker claiming they care about child care and talking about the urgent need for child care. They also stand in this House and talk about the very real crisis that most Canadians are finding themselves in economically. However, what are we debating in the House tonight? Anybody watching this should know that we are debating a Conservative motion to delete the short title of the bill on child care. They have 15 Conservative members speaking to their motion to delete the short title of a bill on child care. If that does not speak to a disingenuousness in getting to the real issues facing Canadians, I do not know what does. Talk about a waste of this House's time.

I am wondering if my hon. colleague can comment on that. What does it tell him? The Conservatives say they really care about child care and want to deal with the real economic issues facing Canadians, but does he think the Conservatives putting up 15 speakers to talk about deleting the short title of the bill is consistent with that?

Motion in AmendmentCanada Early Learning and Child Care ActGovernment Orders

May 31st, 2023 / 7:40 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Speaker, I recognize right up front that in a minority situation it has been good to see progressive policies where the NDP and the Liberals have been able to work together so that we can ensure that this important legislation ultimately will be able to pass. The member highlights a situation that is very obvious. The Conservatives are putting up this number of speakers, because ultimately they like to delay legislation and prevent it from passing.