Families need child care now more than ever

PENTICTON – As businesses and the economy start re-opening, New Democrats are calling on the government to invest in building a universal child care and early learning system that delivers the help families need to go back to work.

For Immediate Release

July 17, 2020

“Child care is essential to restarting the economy and, really, there can be no recovery without it,” said NDP MP Richard Cannings (South Okanagan –West Kootenay). “The Liberals have been promising child care since 1993 – that’s 26 years that Canadian families have waited. Now, the need for child care is even greater as many providers have reduced their capacity due to physical distancing measures and schools remain closed in most parts of the country. The government has to ensure child care is available and affordable for Canadian families in order for our economy to re-open.”

New Democrats are urging the Liberals to invest to stabilize the child care sector across the country, to help providers following health directives, and to create new affordable licensed child care spaces across the country.

“We know that the lack of affordable child care has a disproportionate effect on women. Since women make up about half of Canada's workforce, economic recovery is mathematically impossible without women going back to work. There's no recovery without women recovering and they cannot recover without child care,” added Cannings.

New Democrats are calling on the government to finally begin working with the provinces, territories, and Indigenous governments to establish national, affordable universal child care.

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For more information, please contact:

Office of Richard Cannings, MP: 250 770 4480