Mr. Speaker, today is Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day. It is a day to recognize and celebrate the valuable contribution child care workers make to the lives of kids, parents and society. However, child care workers need more than appreciation. They need decent wages. They are underpaid and undervalued. That is why we need legislation to ensure a system that is publicly funded, not for profit, affordable and universally accessible.
Next week the government has a clear opportunity at the federal-provincial-territorial meeting of ministers responsible for child care. The federal NDP says to the Liberals, no more broken promises. We want legislation now. We want child care workers to be paid adequately. We demand better for our kids. Put it in legislation and put in the money. No more excuses.