The federal government’s pre-Budget charm offensive continues for the second day in a row, this time targeting parents and child care providers.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday in Surrey, British Columbia, that the government plans to provide more than $1 billion in low-cost loans, grants and student loan forgiveness to expand child care across Canada.
The funding is part of the Liberal government’s efforts to win back support among young voters and middle-class families.
“This is a completely new program that we are building because we, as a government, decided and knew that it was important that affordable, high-quality childcare was available across the country.” he stated. “Not only to give children the best start in life, not only to contribute to economic growth, but also because families, especially mothers, should not have to choose between working and raising a family. .”
The prime minister said the money will be loaned directly to not-for-profit and public child care providers through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for projects such as expanding their space or new centers built adjacent to public housing. said.
He said an additional $60 million would be set aside in non-repayable grants for eligible child care centers to build or renovate new space.
The government will also provide student loan forgiveness to early childhood educators in rural and remote areas, as well as an additional $10 million over two years to help them gain additional training and advance their ranks as educators.
Funding for more affordable childcare spaces is an extension of the government’s $10-a-day childcare program, which all states and territories have agreed to.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says $1 billion in low-cost loans, grants and student loan forgiveness will help secure more child care spaces across Canada. He also said Pierre Poièvre and the Conservative Party were “against childcare”.
In his announcement, Prime Minister Trudeau acknowledged that not all provincial governments are moving forward with $10-a-day programs “as quickly or as responsibly as they should.”
“We will continue to work constructively with all states.” “However, because the federal Conservatives are consistently opposed to childcare, the Conservative prime minister is listening to federal MPs, and in some cases has been slow to move forward, falling short of the appropriate level. Please be aware that this may happen.”
Day care operators in some states have threatened to pull out of the state system, saying federal-state agreements limit the fees they can charge and don’t cover their costs.
Child care organizations in Alberta and Ontario say the burden of providing affordable child care is shifting to operators.
Prime Minister Trudeau said his government will hold those provinces accountable after accepting funding.
“But this $1 billion investment in child care will make a huge difference in the number of child care spaces across the country,” he said.
Prime Minister Trudeau kicked off his pre-budget tour Wednesday by detailing a $15 million fund and bill of rights to strengthen protections for tenants renting their homes.
