OPEN LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER HARPER RE: THE UNIVERSAL CHILD CARE BENEFIT

February 6 2012 - Today-six years since the announcement of the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB)-the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada and Campaign 2000 call on the Harper government to redirect the $2.5 billion annual UCCB fund to ECEC programs and the National Child Benefit for low and modest income families. An Open Letter sent today to the Prime Minister, Finance Minister and President of Treasury Board says that Canadians simply cannot afford to let a substantial public expenditure like the UCCB continue with no documented efficacy. The groups note that high quality child care and eradicating child poverty both have clearly demonstrated economic and social benefits, well documented in research, while the UCCB cheque to families across-the-board does not. The Harper government is continuing to make massive cuts to "ineffective" social programs yet has not considered the UCCB.