Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'm Lorna Reid, and I'm currently the director of early years integration in the children's services department in the Region of Peel.
I'm privileged right now to lead Peel's Best Start strategy, which is part of Ontario's implementation of federal funding under various agreements. In this role, I served on the quality and human resources expert panel that submitted its report to the Minister of Children and Youth Services in March 2007. I believe this report will be of interest to this committee when it is released, as it speaks to many of the clauses in this bill.
Early learning and child care services have been integral to my life, both personally as a parent and professionally for over 30 years. The Region of Peel is a large upper-tier municipality of more than 1.2 million residents immediately to the west of Toronto. Peel experienced a growth rate of 17% between 2001 and 2006. Close to 50% of Peel's residents are immigrants, and 33% of the region is rural. In Ontario, the child care service system is led by consolidated municipal service managers, and Peel is one of 47 across the province.
This bill aligns well with the Region of Peel's position statement on early learning and child care services. The current council is on record supporting the creation of a national strategy. In fact, on March 8 a resolution regarding the development and funding of a national early learning and child care strategy was adopted by council and forwarded to Minister Solberg. Our previous council also endorsed a national vision for early learning and child care based on the principles that are outlined in this bill: quality, universality, and accessibility.
While Bill C-303 is not the national strategy that council envisioned, it is a beginning measure that sets some national standards.
Peel's position statement also aligns with the provisions in the bill that address quality, accessibility, and accountability. Peel Social Services is committed to ensuring that the early learning and child care programs of the department are fully accessible to all residents of Peel and support inclusion of all families in effective child development. It is committed to playing a leadership role in planning collaborative strategies with others and is committed to designing innovative services that meet the needs of families of diverse backgrounds and that are responsive to the changing needs of the community.
It is very important, from the region's perspective, that criteria and conditions for funding for early learning and child care programs are established, and that provinces and territories and their programs are held accountable. Peel welcomes accountability measures to ensure, for example, that the $250 million for child care spaces announced in the federal budget will be allocated to local communities by our province. Communities know the needs and service gaps, and integrated service plans are under way.
The Region of Peel holds its own programs accountable through quality assurance processes and through annual financial audits when funding amounts of $20,000 and greater are allocated. Peel welcomes accountability measures at all levels.
Peel's position statements comment specifically on quality and accessibility, specifically stating that everyone benefits from quality early learning and child care. Quality service contributes positively to a child's development and learning; it compensates trained early childhood professionals fairly; it recognizes the primary importance of a child's home environment and of his or her relationship with parents; it partners with parents; it promotes parents' employment; it provides economic benefits to the community, families, and the children.
Peel's programs and policies are designed to be as flexible as permitted within the funding envelopes and guidelines, thereby ensuring that as many families as possible can access programs. Despite these efforts, families wait for fee subsidy, for special needs resources, and for family supports. Only 12% of children age zero to twelve can access licensed child care programs, and only 3% of Peel's children have access to fee subsidy. In our Ontario early years programs there are waiting lists and lineups for the programs that are provided.
Peel's position statement calls upon the government to adopt the OECD recommendations regarding investment in early learning and child care to increase accessibility.
Clause 10 of the bill outlines the creation of a broadly based advisory council. Peel council uses this model effectively to hear from those directly impacted by its programs and services.