Question Period Note: EARLY LEARNING AND CHILD CARE - ONT

What is the status of negotiations with Ontario on a Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement?

• The governments of Canada and Ontario are at the negotiations table. Discussions are advancing.
• I have spoken with Minister Lecce and we share many of the same goals—in particular, better outcomes for children and families in Ontario.
• We are committed to reaching an agreement as quickly as possible so that families in Ontario can benefit from lower child care fees and there is more support for the early learning and child care sector.

Media reports have questioned why the federal government hasn`t reached a deal with Ontario on its Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. Negotiations with Ontario started in the summer. Following a pause during the federal writ period negotiations resumed earlier this fall. Negotiations are ongoing and the federal government looks forward to receiving Ontario’s detailed Action Plan. The Government of Canada is committed to signing a strong agreement with Ontario.

The 2020 Fall Economic Statement announced key early investments to lay the groundwork for a Canada-wide child care system, in partnership with provinces, territories and Indigenous peoples. This includes investments to establish a federal secretariat on early learning and child care; supporting the existing federal Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Secretariat; making the early learning and child care funding announced in Budget 2017 permanent at 2027-2028 levels; providing $420 million in 2021-2022 for the provinces and territories to support the attraction and retention of early childhood educators; and an additional $75 million in 2021-2022 to improve the quality and accessibility of Indigenous child care programs.

Building on investments announced in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, the Government of Canada made a transformative investment of over $27 billion over five years, as part of Budget 2021 to build a Canada-wide early learning and Child Care system with provinces and territories. Combined with other investments including in Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care, up to $30 billion over five years will be provided in support of early learning and child care. Adding previous investments announced since 2015, this means that as of 2025-2026, a minimum of $9.2 billion will be provided every year – permanently – for Early Learning and Child Care and Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care.

The Government of Canada is making a transformative investment to build a Canada-wide early learning and child care system in partnership with provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners. The goal is to bring fees for regulated child care down to $10 per day on average within the next five years. By the end of 2022, the Government is aiming to reduce average fees for regulated early learning and child care by 50 per cent to make it more affordable for families. These targets would apply everywhere outside of Quebec, where prices are already affordable through its well-established system.

To make immediate progress for children with disabilities and children needing enhanced or individual supports, the Government is providing $29.2 million over two years, starting in 2021–22, to Employment and Social Development Canada through the Enabling Accessibility Fund to support child care centres as they improve their physical accessibility.

As of early-December, Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreements were reached with British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Yukon, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Québec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

• On November 30, 2020, the Government of Canada released its Fall Economic Statement, which announced key early investments to lay the groundwork for a Canada-wide early learning and child care system in partnership with provinces, territories and Indigenous peoples. These investments included $420 million in 2021–22 for provinces and territories to support the attraction and retention of the early childhood workforce. In addition, the Fall Economic Statement allocated $870 million per year ongoing as of 2028–2029 to sustain previous early learning and child care investments by making Budget 2017 funding permanent.
• Building on investments announced in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, Budget 2021 committed to investments of over $27 billion over five years to build a Canada-wide early learning and child care system with provinces and territories. Combined with other investments, including in Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care, up to $30 billion over five years will be provided in support of early learning and child care. Adding previous investments announced since 2015, this means that as of 2025-2026, a minimum of $9.2 billion will be provided every year- permanently - for Early Learning and Child Care and Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care.
• The Government of Canada is making a transformative investment to build a Canada-wide early learning and child care system in partnership with provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners. The goal is to bring fees for regulated child care down to $10 per day on average by the end of March 2026. By the end of 2022, the Government is aiming to reduce average fees for regulated early learning and child care by 50 per cent to make it more affordable for families. These targets would apply everywhere outside of Quebec, where prices are already affordable through its well-established system.
• To make immediate progress for children with disabilities and children needing enhanced or individual supports, the Government is providing $29.2 million over two years, starting in 2021–22, to Employment and Social Development Canada through the Enabling Accessibility Fund to support child care centres as they improve their physical accessibility.
• The federal government is working with provinces and territories and Indigenous partners to build a Canada-wide early learning and child care system. New agreements with provinces and territories are providing significant funding to support substantial reductions to families for the cost of regulated child care spaces. Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreements have been reached with eight provinces and one territory (British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Yukon, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Québec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
• Negotiations were initiated in the summer and resumed following the federal election. The Government of Canada looks forward to advancing the negotiation and receiving Ontario’s detailed action plan.
• Our objective is to continue to reach strong agreements with all provinces and territories, including Ontario.