For Release May 8 2015 Communities across Canada spring in to a Week of Action for national child care in federal election
Communities across Canada are springing in to a Week of Action for Child Care , beginning Mother’s Day, May 9th, to May 17th 2015, to ensure that a national plan for quality child care all families can afford and count on is a priority for voters this federal election.
Organizers with the Vote Child Care 2015 campaign are inviting Canadians of all stripes to join them to make the child care need visible in their community, with a range of activities from local kitchen table conversations, public art displays, and picnics, to rallies, stroller brigades and a Canada-wide #VoteChildCare2015 Twitter conversation on May 14th 2015 (12:00PM EST).
“The next Canadian government must commit to long-term sustained federal funding and leadership on child care. They need come to the table with the provinces and territories,ready to build a public, non-profit system that we can count on. It’s long overdue.” Outlined Vote Child Care organizer, Carolyn Ferns.
“The current patchwork of child care programs and services across the country doesn’t work for families. High fees and hard-to-find care strain household budgets and keep women out of the work force. In the federal election, a vote for child care is a vote for a better Canada.”
The Week of Action for Child Care momentum is building towards the election with events that include:
VANCOUVER – Clark Park, May 9th from 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM PST / Stroller Brigade for Child Care
TORONTO – Trinity Bellwoods Park, May 9th from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM EST / Vote Child Care Family Picnic
EDMONTON – Sir Wilfrid Laurier Park, May 10th from 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM MDT/ Mother’s Day Picnic
St. John’s, NFLD – Pippy Park, May 16th from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM NDT/ Stroller Brigade and Picnic
The full list of events and tools for organizing can befound at VoteChildCare.ca
Currently, only one in five children who needs child care is able to access a regulated space. For a majority of Canadian families, child care is the second highest household expense.
“We know that investment in good child care realizes benefits for everyone — the economy grows two dollars for every dollar invested while public spending on child care creates four times more jobs than investing in the construction industry.” Said Sharon Gregson, of BC’s $10aday campaign “Child care is good for the economy, good for families, and good for Canada.”
Vote Child Care 2015 is an initiative of the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada (CCAAC), a non-partisan, non-profit organization with representatives from across Canada, dedicated to promoting a universal, publicly-funded, inclusive, quality, non-profit child care system.
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For more information:
Carolyn Ferns, Toronto, 416-538-0628 x 4
Dominique Arbez (FR), Winnipeg, 204-237-1818, poste 739
Sharon Gregson, Vancouver, 604-505-5725