Minister, as you know, my community has been hit particularly hard by the housing crisis that we are in, including the number of people living unsheltered having tripled in recent years.

I appreciate that you've at least talked about how non-market housing is deeply affordable and a really important part of the solution. Your statistic is a little bit high. It's 3.5% of the total number of social housing. As a country, we are at the bottom of the G7 right now.

I also appreciate that you've made time to meet with some non-market, non-profit housing providers in my community that are ready to build: KWhabilitation House of Friendship, Indwell, The Working Centre and oneROOF.

They were looking at this year's and last year's budgets. In budget 2023, there was nothing. In the fall economic statement 2023, there was nothing. In budget 2024, the rapid housing fund that they were looking towards has been cut. It's $100 million down...from...$750 million a year. We missed a year, and now it's cut. The rental protection fund is important, but there's only $5 million for the whole country there, and then the reaching home strategy is $225 million across the country in this year's budget.

Why cut the rapid housing fund when it's been such a critical program for non-profits to build housing?

Also, can you commit to those reaching home program dollars reaching Waterloo region? We need them.

9:15 a.m.

Liberal

Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS

Thanks very much.

I would just disagree with your characterization as to some of these cuts. With the rapid housing fund, for example, that was the end of one program; we haven't just gotten rid of it. We have now put more money into non-market housing through the affordable housing fund, which includes a rapid housing stream.

One reason we wished to do that is to leverage money from other levels of government. The rapid housing initiative was a great opportunity during the pandemic to move quickly with buildings that could be 100% financed by the federal government. Now that we have an opportunity to bring other levels of government on board quickly, as we know what the shared projects are, I think we can do more. Although the year-over-year spend may go down under one program, the total on affordable housing will go up. That's a reflection of one program ending, not a decision to cut funding within that program, if that makes sense.

9:15 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

Thank you, Mr. Morrice.

Thank you, Minister.

That concludes the first hour.

Thank you, committee members. We're right on time.

We'll suspend for a few minutes while we transition to the next hour.

9:22 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

Committee members, we will resume the second hour of the HUMA meeting this morning by welcoming Minister Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development.

As well, from ESDC, we have Paul Thompson, deputy minister; Karen Hall, associate assistant deputy minister; and Brian Leonard, director general and deputy chief financial officer.

The minister and staff are here to take questions on supplementary estimates (C) for 2023-24 and main estimates for 2024-25.

We will begin by giving the minister five minutes for an opening statement.

Madam Minister, you have the floor.

9:22 a.m.

Kanata—Carleton Ontario

Liberal

Jenna Sudds LiberalMinister of Families

Thank you very much, Chair.

I'm accompanied today, as you mentioned, by Paul Thompson, deputy minister for ESDC; Brian Leonard, director general and deputy chief financial officer; as well as Karen Hall, our associate deputy minister. We are here to talk to you today about our responsibilities regarding the supplementary estimates (C) and the main estimates and to update you on the progress that pertains to my portfolio as Minister of Family, Children and Social Development.

Making investments to support families is not only the right thing to do; it's also about building our communities' futures. We're focused on programs and on policies that make life better for Canada. We've made important progress in supporting parents and kids. With budget 2024, we've demonstrated that the government remains committed to improving children's lives and ensuring fairness for every generation.

With too many kids trying to learn on an empty stomach, we're taking action. We're creating a national school food program, providing meals for up to 400,000 additional children to ensure that kids across the country are not hungry at school.

Ensuring that we provide the best possible start in life for children is also at the core of our Canada-wide early learning and child care system that we announced in 2021.

After just three years, over 750,000 children across the country are benefiting from affordable, high-quality child care, with some families saving up to $14,000 per child per year. We know that as fees have decreased, demand has increased. Some families are still waiting for spaces, and there is more work to be done.

Under the agreement signed with every province and territory, the federal government is supporting the creation of nearly 250,000 new child care spaces across the country by March 2026. Measures already announced by provinces and territories have supported the creation of over 100,000 new spaces to date, and we are not slowing down.

Budget 2024 also includes new proposed measures to create more affordable spaces.

The child care expansion loan program will enable public and non-for-profit child care providers to build new spaces or to renovate existing ones.

Funding for indigenous early learning and child care is enabling indigenous governance and partnerships in this sector and supporting program delivery, including by expanding access to culturally relevant early learning and child care for indigenous children within the Canada-wide system.

It does take more than bricks and mortar to make a space. We need the talented and dedicated educators who are the cornerstone of this system that we are building.

That is why we continue to work with provinces and territories, except for Quebec, to support a qualified early childhood educator workforce. Efforts to invest in the early childhood educators’ training, their recruitment and the retention of those already in the system remains top of mind for us all.

Therefore, budget 2024 further proposes to invest $48 million over four years to offer student loan forgiveness for early childhood educators in rural and remote communities. Additionally we announced our intention to increase training for ECEs. This year's budget proposes $10 million over two years to train more ECEs and build up the talent required for expansion of affordable, high-quality care.

This is in addition to nearly $64.2 million being invested to support early learning and child care initiatives through supplementary estimates (C) as part of the federal government's “Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028”. It will help improve access for high-quality child care for children and their families in francophone minority communities across the country.

Investing in our kids is a no-brainer. It's good for kids, it's good for parents and it's good for the economy. These investments are meaningful investments for Canadian families, and we will continue to be there to support Canadian parents and to give kids the best possible start in life.

Thank you very much. I look forward to your questions.

9:25 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

Thank you, Madam.

We'll begin with Madame Ferreri. You have six minutes.

9:25 a.m.

Conservative

Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister, for being here.

Minister, Lisa Beddow runs 10 day cares in Nova Scotia and thinks she could add 100 to 200 spaces.

You've pointed out that we have a significant gap across the country in terms of people not being able to access child care.

She said, with reference to you, “in February, she was clear to say that Nova Scotia has never asked to have the terms of the agreement changed, almost implying that Minister Druhan”, who's the minister in Nova Scotia, “should ask to include private operators to expand, only to have her request denied.”

We know, Minister, that they did write a letter to you. You are on the record saying, “If the provinces would be more flexible, or if they come and ask, I will work with them.” The minister from Nova Scotia has said, “She indicated that the federal government has no appetite to renegotiate the agreement.”

You have entrepreneurs, female entrepreneurs, willing and able to increase access to quality, affordable child care, and you're shutting them down. Why?

9:25 a.m.

Liberal

Jenna Sudds Liberal Kanata—Carleton, ON

I would actually wholeheartedly agree with that premise, respectfully. The child care workforce across this country is 96% female.

9:25 a.m.

Conservative

Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON

You said that you'd agree with it wholeheartedly.

9:25 a.m.

Liberal

Jenna Sudds Liberal Kanata—Carleton, ON

I disagree with it wholeheartedly.

9:30 a.m.

Conservative

Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON

You said “agree”.

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

Jenna Sudds Liberal Kanata—Carleton, ON

I disagree with that premise wholeheartedly in that, first of all, the workforce is 96% female—

9:30 a.m.

Conservative

Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON

Sorry, but my time is limited, and it is my time, Minister.

You're disagreeing that the province has come to you and asked for help. You have these private operators....

For the record, Minister, this is your Liberal MP colleague, Kody Blois from Kings—Hants, who wrote an email on April 22, 2024, stating, “I am receiving a considerable number of calls from families who are unable to find a child care space in their local area. Minister, when I look at the expansion projects across the province, we have tremendous privately incorporated operators alongside not-for-profit organizations already playing a crucial role in service delivery.” He says, “I am supportive of the concept of having more participation from the private sector.”

Why are you not listening to your own Liberal colleagues and the operators who are primarily female? You're taking away choice. You are actively destroying these women's lives.

They are closing down across this country, and you're saying that's not true. They've come to you and pleaded. They're not asking for more money. They're asking for you to be flexible in the agreement, and you've said no.

Why are you not listening to anyone?

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

Jenna Sudds Liberal Kanata—Carleton, ON

You've asked a lot of questions but haven't given me a—

9:30 a.m.

Conservative

Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON

It's one question. Why are you not listening to anyone?

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

Jenna Sudds Liberal Kanata—Carleton, ON

No, there are about five there.

Having said that, you are professing that we are ruining women's lives.

9:30 a.m.

Conservative

Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON

Yes, you are.

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

Jenna Sudds Liberal Kanata—Carleton, ON

It's absolutely the contrary. I speak to women across this country every day who are benefiting—

9:30 a.m.

Conservative

Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON

One in three families can access this program.

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

Jenna Sudds Liberal Kanata—Carleton, ON

May I answer the question?

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

Ms. Ferreri, please wait a moment. I will remind you that the questions must be directed through me, the chair.

Madam Minister, you have the floor.

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

Jenna Sudds Liberal Kanata—Carleton, ON

Thank you, Chair.

As I said, there are a lot of questions there. I'll do my best to touch on all of them, if given the opportunity.

9:30 a.m.

Conservative

Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON

It's just one question, Minister. Perhaps you could just answer that one question. Why are you not negotiating the agreements when asked? You've said in your statement that you're about fairness. This is fairness for everybody. It's including all people.