The Kids First Parents Association of Canada had a press conference today in Ottawa that Roy Green reported on during his radio program this morning (900 CHML). According to a Kids First representative there were no Members of Parliament at the press conference.
Kids First is not necessarily opposed to a National Day Care Plan but they are opposed to the inequality inherent in the Liberals current plan.
...We stand for child care choice with funding equity.
We know that every mother is a working mother.
We stand for the right & responsibility of parents to determine their children's care without discrimination.We know government has a complimentary responsibility to support and not to replace families in child-rearing. The responsibility of the state is to defend families and children from harm by other sectors
We stand for the right to informed consent in decision making: information relating to children's care and development, work, and family must not mislead the public or politicians, especially when provided through tax-funded agencies.
We focus on examining legal, financial, social and political obstacles that deny parents the freedom to choose the child-rearing style they believe is best for their family, be it care by a neighbour, friend, relative, babysitter, parent in a home-based office, tag-team parents, parent at home full-time, family day home, daycare or other.
[Emphasis from original source]
The Kids First representative also mentioned that they will be meeting with NDP child care critic Tony Martin, Conservative intergovernmental affairs critic Rona Ambrose and Conservative MP Jim Prentice. The Conservative platform includes choice in day care so Kids First should get a receptive ear from the Conservative representatives but what about MP Tony Martin from the NDP? This is taken from the NDP website,
...NDP Leader Jack Layton is calling for strict childcare legislation that would ensure accountability in the distribution of federal funds to the provinces, and a guarantee for a publicly funded and publicly delivered child care system.
..."Let's move and implement a child care program that meets the needs of all Canadian families, one that is publicly funded, with national standards and accountability."
...NDP social policy and child care critic Tony Martin says that in addition to more funding, he wants to see the principles of early learning as well as standards guaranteeing universal, accessible, developmental and inclusive programs included in the child care package.
"We have already seen what happens when public money is left in the hands of the private sector," said Martin. "We need a guarantee that this public money will be for publicly funded and publicly delivered child care. The federal money should be directed to public, non-profit child-care services regulated by provincial and territorial governments."
There is no mention from the NDP about equality in day care funding. It appears that not only do the NDP have no interest in providing funding or tax relief to parents who choose not to use institutional
day care but, as the NDP are want to do, also want the most extreme day care system possible - public-only. I would love to hear what MP Tony Martin would have to say to this advocacy group.
Notice that there is no meeting set up with Minister of Social Development Ken Dryden.
