Code Blue for Child Care responds to the 2008 Canadian federal budget tabled on February 26, 2008.
Excerpts from press release:
"Canada's children barely got a mention in this year's Conservative budget which was noteworthy for its dearth of recognition that Canadians need and value social programs."
"Almost 800,000 children in Canada live in poverty. Canada lags behind its peer nations in early childhood education and child care with fewer than 20% of those 0-12 years old able to access regulated child care services. Indeed, OECD data show Canada to be last in terms of access to early learning and child care, a direct result of the fact that Canada places last in terms of public spending on early childhood and child care programs as a percent of GDP."
"Instead the Harper government has chosen to reduce tax revenues. If the two cuts to the GST, which cost the treasury $12 billion annually, had been invested in child care, the benefit to families would have been very significant."