|
Devolin Column
August 2010
Universal Child Care Benefit celebrates its fourth anniversary
As the father of two young children, I believe that parents should make the crucial decisions about their children, and that is why the Government of Canada is putting choice in child care where it belongs—in the hands of parents, allowing them to choose the option that best suits their needs.
The federal government is supporting the child care choices of all Canadian families with children under the age of six in a clear and tangible way through the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB). Introduced in July 2006, the UCCB is celebrating its fourth anniversary this year.
Through the Benefit, the Government is providing more than $2.6 billion this year alone to approximately 1.5 million families, directly impacting the lives of over 2 million young Canadian children. The UCCB provides $100 per month to parents for each child under the age of six.
The Benefit is only one component of the two-part Universal Child Care Plan. The second supports the creation of child care spaces. Our Plan is a new approach to child care that both respects the role of parents in determining how best to care for their children, and recognizes the responsibility of provincial and territorial governments for the delivery of child care programs and services.
In addition, $250 million is transferred per year to the provinces and territories to help support the creation of new child care spaces. Since 2007, provinces and territories have announced plans for more than 84,000 new child care spaces. Others are enhancing the quality of their spaces, or making child care more affordable for families.
In 2007, the Government of Canada also introduced a 25-percent investment tax credit for businesses that create new child care spaces for their employees, to a maximum of $10,000 per space created.
In total, the Government will provide almost $6 billion in 2010–2011 to support early childhood development and child care through transfers to the provinces and territories, direct spending and tax measures for families.
All in all, current investments in early childhood development and child care by the federal government are at their highest level in Canadian history. The Government of Canada recognizes that families are the building blocks of our society and that child care is a priority.
|
