Thank you.
In order not to run out of time, I'll go one person, one group at a time.
Thank you very much, everybody, for your presentations and different perspectives of a problem we're all very concerned about.
I was in my riding in the past couple of weeks, and some forums were held around child care. I was appalled and troubled by the stories parents told. Some had their child wait-listed at 11 child care centres, and there were just no spaces. One young couple was paying $925 for their child, and the cost was going up by $50 to $975. That's the price of an apartment.
During this study, we heard an employer association—I think it was in Quebec or Halifax—make the comparison with statistics between the number of women per capita who are employed in Quebec compared to Alberta, where there's a hue and cry about the skills shortage. Certainly they can't be employed in the meats, and I doubt there are very many women who would want to work there--but maybe not; I shouldn't be sexist and make those assumptions. However, there is a clear link, as you pointed out, between employability and good quality day care.
As you probably know, I introduced a bill in the House on early learning and child care that would ensure long-term stable funding for quality day care. I hope it will be coming to this committee soon. I'm hoping that my colleagues will get this through the committee quickly, because it did pass at second reading. I think it's something we need to move forward with. I certainly hope to get their support.
Going back to what the government has committed--and you were saying it would take 107 years to meet the needs--what will $250 million give us in terms of day care spaces at the moment? Can you estimate in terms of meeting some of the needs?