About Canada: Childcare

Answering frequently asked questions about Early Childhood Education and Childcare (ECEC) in Canada, this accessible investigation seeks to establish proper standards for childcare programs, kindergartens, and nursery schools, thereby supporting the development of youth and accommodating parents who work or study. Questions covered includeWhy doesn't Canada have an ECEC system, even though other countries do? What is missing in Canada's ECEC landscape and why?andIs ECEC primarily a public good, a private family responsibility, or an opportunity for profit-making?Identifying this system as a political issue, this argument proposes that Canada requires an integrated system of services, stating that the absence of universal public funding is detrimental to the future of the country's families, women, and children. Additional topics discussed include an analysis of the history of ECEC, politics and policies, and suggested improvements for the future.

Martha Friendly is the founder and executive director of the Childcare Resource and Research Unit, Canada’s foremost early childhood education and childcare policy-research institute. She has written extensively on social policy, early childhood education, and childcare and family policy in both scholarly and popular publications. She lives in Toronto, Ontario. Susan Prentice is an associate professor of sociology at the University of Manitoba, where she specializes in family, gender, and public policy. She is a longtime childcare advocate and works closely with community groups. She is the author of Changing Childcare: Five Decades of Child Care Advocacy and Policy in Canada and The Illusion of Inclusion: Women in Post-Secondary Education. She lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba.