Finance committee  The universal child care benefit benefits me. I'm a low-income single mother. I don't pay taxes on it. Most single mothers don't earn enough income to pay taxes on it, so we get the full $100. Families with higher incomes pay some tax on that. I've heard positive things. Certain

Finance committee  Thank you.

Finance committee  Hi. My name is Helen Ward. I'm the president of Kids First Parents Association of Canada. I'm also the mother of two. Thank you for having me here today. Kids First is a grassroots, volunteer-run, national charitable organization concerned with children's optimal care and well-

Human Resources committee  I would like to--

Human Resources committee  I would like to correct the record. Under the Conservatives, we don't treat all families equally. Those who use day-care-centre-based care are still far more subsidized than any other form of care. That's a very big concern. The $100 a month is a small step in the right direction

Human Resources committee  Yes, I do. The Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada, as reported in the Toronto Star, said that building a day care space of quality costs up to $40,000 in a city like Vancouver. Operating a day care space in Toronto is about $18,000. That's affirmed by statistics from Swede

Human Resources committee  We definitely agree that it's not enough, but your plan gives absolutely nothing, and $100 a month is a small step in the right direction. It should be far more. If it's $25,000 a year, so be it--for every child.

Human Resources committee  You're wrong. You're very wrong.

Human Resources committee  Any form of child care that meets a child's developmental needs for attachment and attunement is okay, but it's parents who make these decisions. The state has no place in the child care decisions of the nation. That was the Liberal government's policy in 1999, and I hope they ge

Human Resources committee  And then could I answer briefly?

Human Resources committee  The issue is not simply about choice, Mr. Savage, it's about choice with equality. We want equality for all the choices we make. The vice-president of Kids First has a severely mentally handicapped son. She put him in licensed preschool briefly. He's very autistic, and he was ve

Human Resources committee  We would like to see the amount drastically increased. The Liberal plan, $5 billion over five years, is for $1 billion a year. There are two million children aged zero to five. That's $500 per child per year. The basis of that plan is that the vast majority look after their own

Human Resources committee  You seem to be confused about what the word “work” means. Every mother is a working mother. That's a feminist slogan promoted by the National Organization for Women in the United States. What do you mean by stay-at-home versus working? I do paid work in my home and out of the h

Human Resources committee  Good.

Human Resources committee  There's no paid staff at all in Kids First. We are funded by donations from anybody who gives us money. Right now, actually, we have no money; we're in the hole. If you would be so kind as to donate, we'd be very happy to receive your donations. We are not funded by any political