Madam Speaker, the Speech from the Throne clearly indicates that children are the highest priority of the government. Raising the next generation of Canadians is everyone's concern and that is why we are doubling the EI period of parental leave. That is why early childhood development is a key theme in the national children's agenda.
As part of that agenda, we are committed to working jointly with our partners to develop an agreement on early childhood development by December 2000, an agreement with principles, objectives and fiscal parameters and a five year timetable for increased funding to achieve our shared objective.
We recognize that child care and indeed many services for children fall under provincial and territorial jurisdiction but we have already made great strides with the provinces to improve the well-being of children. The centrepiece of our progress is the national child benefit. Thanks to the national child benefit, $2 billion will be going to modest and low income families with children by July 2000, bringing total federal assistance for families and children to almost $7 billion a year.
Through the NCB, provinces and territories are reinvesting in complementary services for children and eight provinces have already invested in child care. The member's own province of B.C. has had $80 million extra to invest in children, some of which they have chosen to invest in child care.
We, the Government of Canada, have also acted on our own through the First Nations Inuit child care program which has created or improved more than 7,000 child care spaces. Through the visions program, we are supporting research projects to improve the quality of child care across the country.
These initiatives are solid contributions to child care in Canada and the Speech from the Throne provides the potential to do much more.