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Yvonne Jones, MHA for the District of Cartwright L’Anse Au Clair and
Opposition Critic for Health and Community Services, says she is concerned
about the shape of child care in this province following yesterday’s federal
budget, as well as by comments made today in the House of Assembly by the
Minister of Health and Community Services . The Liberal MHA questioned the
minister in the legislature on where the federal funding, already advanced
under the current child-care arrangement with the federal government, has
been invested in the province . The federal budget announced it will axe the
program but will provide funding until March 2007. Thus far, this province
has received $11.6 million of the $21.6 million expected before the
agreement is terminated.
"I found it very incredulous to hear the minister stand in the House of
Assembly and state that no new child care spaces have been created since
this government received this money," says Jones. "Increasing the number of
child care spaces was the whole aim of the funding, and evidently this
government did not honour this intent. They certainly have some explaining
to do to the families in our province who trusted that the spirit of this
agreement would be fulfilled."
Jones says she is also questioning, as many others are, the benefits of
the proposed Universal Child Care Plan (UCCB) announced in the new budget.
Under this plan, families of children under six will be provided with a
$1,200 bonus over a year to help offset child care expenses.
"This is a taxable benefit which already whittles down its full value and
it also appears to favour stay- at- home parents with a high income spouse.
We all know that most families need two parents working so as to meet the
economic demand of daily life. And as far as covering the real cost of child
care, it far from meets this objective.
"I am also disappointed that this government did not stand up to Ottawa
on this important issue and allowed the previous agreements to be slashed.
These agreements at least assured a national standard of child care across
the country. Furthermore, government has not carried out a proper analysis
of this UCCB and how it compares to the previous agreement, nor what it will
mean to child care spaces in this province.
"All this strongly suggests that this government has shortchanged
families in this province and has in effect darkened the spirit of
progressing child care in our society."
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