Excerpts from the policy brief:
In November 2004, Ministers from Federal, Provincial and Territorial governments, with the exception of Québec, agreed on four principles to guide the development of a new national system of early learning and child care. The four principles are referred to by the acronym "QUAD," which stands for Quality; Universally Inclusive; Accessible; and child care with a Developmental focus.
Research can contribute a great deal to decisions about child care programs and policies. The Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) &em; a network of more than 160 researchers from six of BC's postsecondary institutions &em; is in a strong position to disseminate research on child care that can be helpful in discussions and plans around a child care system based on the "QUAD" principles. In the following pages we summarize what the relevant research studies tell us about quality, universally inclusive, accessible child care that facilitates early child development.