Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister, for being here. We know how important child care is for parents across this country, and in particular we know how important access to child care is for all families.
We heard from Michelle Lattimore this past week that the “framework sets the foundation for a shared long-term vision for early learning in child care, guided by the agreed-upon principles of quality, accessibility, affordability, flexibility and inclusivity.”
However, when I asked Ms. Lattimore about the wait-lists in Canada, there had been no data collected to know that number. It is odd to have a framework to solve a problem without knowing the numbers to start with.
Also, when MP Falk asked about consultation, Ms. Lattimore said that they “were seeking a response on the legislation and the discussion guide outlining what [they] expected to see in the legislation.” She said, “Specific responses on challenges that are being faced by rural or remote families in accessing child care have not been specifically addressed”.
The report does not break down what we heard from the perspective of not-for-profit or for-profit providers. Minister, if the federal government has no purview under the licencing and agrees that there is a place for all forms of child care, that is up to the individual provinces to decide. Why is there a specific call-out in the guiding principles, yet there's the contradiction that you're only primarily focusing on not-for-profit and public providers? If the goal is quality, accessibility, flexibility and inclusivity, why leave out a sector in the vision of child care that provides care for so many kids across the country?