Mr. Speaker, clearly, there is no choice in child care when there are spaces for only 20.3% of children under the age of six.
I will come back to the prebudget submission, First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition stated:
Canada’s failure to properly support young children and their families...is resulting in high rates of vulnerability in children. This vulnerability translates into weakened educational outcomes, health inequities and long-term loss of productive potential. This is a recipe for unsustainability and rising social costs.
I have a quote from the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children, which states:
Developing the full potential of every child in Canada is a good economic investment, in the context of an aging population, as well as the right thing to do.
Currently, the government plan amounts to $3 a day for child care. When will the government admit that it has a role in developing and implementing a national child care strategy?