News & Stories: Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "The new measure will be available to parents, including adoptive or same-sex parents, for a child born or placed for the purpose of adoption on or after March 17, 2019—as long as they are eligible for and share their Employment Insurance parental benefits. When parents agree to do so, they will benefit from one of the following: five additional weeks of parental benefits when choosing the standard option; or eight additional weeks for those who choose the extended option."

Excerpt: "Investing in the middle class means investing in people—with more help for those who need it, and less for those who don't. It means building a better Canada—a stronger, more connected country—and it means better opportunities for people today, and the promise of a better future, even in a world of constant change."

Excerpt: "That starts with a commitment to govern in a positive, open and collaborative way. Our platform, Forward: A Real Plan for the Middle Class, is the starting point for our Government. I expect us to work with Parliament to deliver on our commitments. Other issues and ideas will arise or will come from Canadians, Parliament, stakeholders and the public service. It is my expectation that you will engage constructively and thoughtfully and add priorities to the Government’s agenda when appropriate. Where legislation is required, you will need to work with the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and the Cabinet Committee on Operations to prioritize within the minority Parliament."

Excerpt: "The Parental Sharing Benefit gives new parents, including adoptive and same-sex parents, more time to share the responsibility of raising their children. Eligible parents who agree to share benefits are now able to access an additional five weeks of Employment Insurance standard parental benefits, or an additional eight weeks if they choose the extended parental benefit option. This means more flexibility for families."

Excerpt: "We are proposing to invest in a safe, sufficient and adequate supply of child care, so that parents, especially mothers, don’t have to choose between going to work and ensuring their children are taken care of."

Excerpt: "Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, announced $625 million in federal support for Canada’s child care sector to help ensure that safe and sufficient child care spaces are available to support parents’ gradual return to work. Along with the agreements under the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework, this investment means the Government of Canada will invest almost $1.2 billion to support child care in 2020-2021, a 67% increase over the next highest year in history, 2005-2006, when $700 million were announced."

Excerpt: "It has been nearly 50 years since the Royal Commission on the Status of Women outlined the necessity of child care services for women’s social and economic equality. We have long understood that Canada cannot succeed if half of the population is held back. Canadians need more accessible, affordable, inclusive, and high quality childcare. Recognizing the urgency of this challenge, the Government will make a significant, long-term, sustained investment to create a Canada-wide early learning and childcare system. The Government will build on previous investments, learn from the model that already exists in Quebec, and work with all provinces and territories to ensure that high-quality care is accessible to all. There is broad consensus from all parts of society, including business and labour leaders, that the time is now. The Government also remains committed to subsidizing before- and after-school program costs. With the way that this pandemic has affected parents and families, flexible care options for primary school children are more important than ever."

Excerpt: "The Government of Canada will build on previous investments that have created close to 40,000 new child care spaces, and work with all provinces and territories, as well as with First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation governments, to ensure that high-quality care is accessible to all."

Excerpt: "The Government of Canada made a transformative investment of over $27 billion over 5 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 Indigenous early learning and child care, up to $30 billion over 5 years will be provided in support of early learning and child care. These investments will support early learning and child care programs consistent with the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework."

Excerpt: "On the eve of this anniversary, the federal government is committed to historic investments that will make this promise a reality. Budget 2021 will outline a plan to provide affordable, accessible and high-quality child care from ocean, to ocean to ocean. This is a feminist plan, to be sure. It also makes sound business sense and is supported by many of Canada’s corporate leaders, who have witnessed the economic toll this crisis has taken on women, families and children – and therefore on Canada’s bottom line."

Excerpt: "“Canada is deeply committed to advancing gender equality and continuing to make progress on the recommendations laid out in the report. To help more women enter and remain in the workforce, the government is making historic investments in women’s and equality-seeking organizations, training opportunities, recruitment programs, child care, and parental leave. As promised in the Speech from the Throne, we are also working to create a Canada-wide early learning and child care system. In the Fall Economic Statement, we announced our proposed plan to bring partners together toward a common vision, including through the creation of a Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care. We will also work with provinces and territories to support early childhood educators. For instance, we will engage them on future sustained investments in support of an Early Childhood Educator Workforce Strategy. Finally, in Budget 2021, we will lay out a plan to provide affordable, accessible, inclusive, and high-quality child care from coast to coast to coast."

Excerpt: "The Ministers recognized the efforts of provinces and territories to deliver high quality child care to families across Canada through well-established child care systems, particularly during the pandemic. Ministers agreed to initiate discussion for renewed bilateral funding agreements in accordance with the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework, noting some common interests, challenges and perspectives on early learning and child care, including support for workforce participation."