Vote Child Care 2015

It is time to stand together to make access to high quality, affordable child care a reality for families and children across Canada. Without action, the crisis in child care will continue with only one space of quality child care available for every five children in Canada who need one. For a majority of Canadian families, child care is the second highest household expense. Combined, these obstacles disproportionately impact mothers in the workforce.

It doesn't have to be this way. In 2007, Stephen Harper abandoned Canadian families when his government tore up agreements with provincial governments to make a quality, national, child care system happen.

What did families get instead? A $160 Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB), in the face of annual child care fees that for many parents are higher than the cost of university tuition. Meanwhile, the $3 billion frittered away annually through this benefit would go far to pay for a nationally integrated, affordable, child care system. It makes sense for parents, and also for the economy. Studies show that public investment in child care pays for itself through job creation, and better health and education for children.

The cost of this benefit, plus income-splitting will cost Canadians almost $8 billion by 2017, without delivering a National Child Care program. A recent report from the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) states that more than half the money spent on the expanded UCCB will go to families without child care expenses of any kind.

It is Time to Take Action on Childcare. As Canada's leading voice for working families, UFCW Canada and allies have developed a national campaign to make child care services a priority for government.

The Vote Child Care campaign is building momentum towards the federal election, calling on the next Canadian government to commit to long-term sustained federal funding and leadership on child care. Vote Child Care 2015 brings together child care advocates and supporters from across Canada to promote the vision endorsed at the ChildCare2020 conference.

Together we’re calling on the next federal government to provide funding and leadership, to work with provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to make affordable quality child care a reality for all families. Add your voice by working with your friends to build a grassroots movement; and by working with others to elect a family-friendly federal government in 2015 that is committed to a national day care program.

Why Vote Child Care?

With your support we can:

• Use the election to build support for our vision of affordable quality child care, and to make child care a prominent issue in communities across Canada

• Expose the danger of the market-based approach to family policy (income splitting, UCCB)

Take the pledge

Monthly Pledge Days

Pledge.votechildcare.ca

• September 14, 2015 – Grandparents for Child Care

• October 5, 2015 – World Teacher’s Day

By signing the pledge for quality child care that all families can afford and count on, we’re asking you to make a powerful commitment to:

1. Vote on Election Day

2. Support a candidate that supports quality child care that all families can afford and count on

3. Invite your friends and networks to Vote Child Care too

4. SHARE your commitment to Vote Child Care on social media, and challenge others to pledgeas well. “I just pledged to Vote Child Care in this federal election: http://pledge.VoteChildCare.ca. I call on [YOUR FRIENDS' NAMES] to join me!”

Download the Pledge sign up form for large events.  Scan and send completed forms to [email protected]