The NDP has a number of fundamental beliefs about childcare.

It also has a solid plan for addressing the needs of children, parents, early childhood educators, and other members of the childcare community. That means making childcare more affordable for parents, investing heavily in childcare subsidies so that childcare programs can continue to operate, and protecting valuable childcare spaces in our communities.

Childcare is a necessity, not a luxury, and it's time we started treating it as such.

The percentage of two-parent families with both parents in the paid labour market grew from 25% in 1971 to 78% in 2006. Over the course of a single generation, it became increasingly necessary to have two adults in the paid labour market in order to pay the family's bills.

Childcare is an investment – in the economy and in the next generation. It's also an investment that reaps tremendous dividends for our entire society.

Investing in childcare allows parents to go to work. Their work fuels the economy.

Children benefit from early learning programs. And children who might not otherwise have the same opportunities to have access to reading materials or even to be read to by an adult on a regular basis benefit hugely from early learning programs. And we all benefit from what they learn. These children aren't already miles behind their peers by the time they start kindergarten and at risk of learning and behavioural problems. They have a better start in life.

Did you know that the rate of return on each childcare dollar invested has been estimated to be anywhere from $2 (according to Canadian research) to $3 to $17 (according to US research).

This is where the NDP's Plan to invest $125 million in childcare in each of the next two years – a quarter-billion dollars in total - fits in.

The transition to full-day kindergarten is a good thing.

Three-, four-, and five-year olds are beginning to benefit from a full-day program that has been designed just for them.

However, the transition to full-day kindergarten has not been without its challenges – challenges that have not been adequately dealt with by the current government, which has allowed other parts of the childcare system to fall into crisis.

• Childcare programs for younger children are becoming financially non-viable in the wake of new early learning programs for four- and five- year olds.  They are having to shut their doors
• Childcare is becoming unaffordable. Childcare already costs between $40 and $60 per day and parents are being faced with child care fee increases of 15 to 30 percent.
• Low income families are shut out of the high-quality childcare system entirely, unless they can obtain subsidies, which are very scarce. This is an issue of social justice. Early childhood education can help to ameliorate some of the disadvantages of poverty by helping children from very low income families.
• There isn't enough childcare. Four out of five Ontario children do not have access to a licensed child care space.
• Childcare centres can't afford to pay staff what they are worth without government funding to support wages and benefits. In a high quality program, 80 percent of the centre budget goes toward staffing costs.
• Providing quality care requires low caregiver-child ratios based on age and, in Ontario, we have caregiver-child ratios we can be proud of. What we can't be proud of is asking caregivers to work for wages that don't allow them to support their own families.
• Childcare programs have been waiting for 15 years for an adjustment in funding to account for inflation. That means that childcare staff, children, and parents have been watching program dollars shrink during consecutive Conservative and Liberal governments.

What we have on our hands right now is a childcare crisis that is only going to get worse unless there is a significant change of course.

The NDP has a plan that will pay off for everybody – children, parents, early childhood educators, and the community as a whole. Because when parents are able to go to work and children thrive, everyone is richer, financially and in even more important ways that can't be measured on a spreadsheet. Thank you.

Join us at the NDP Office (157 Charlotte Street) on Saturday, August 27 at 1 pm as we celebrate the incredible life of Jack Layton.

Friends, colleagues, and supporters of the Federal NDP leader will share their memories of Jack Layton and reflect on the incredible contributions he made to Canada during his lifetime.

The event will include a special reading of Jack's letter to all Canadians, and there will also be an opportunity for members of the public to share their memories.

A viewing of the state funeral will follow.

Everyone is welcome to join us for this day of remembrance and a celebration of what is means to live our lives with Love, Hope, and Optimism.

Download a printable poster for this event.

157 Charlotte St.
Peterborough, K9J 2T7
(near the corner of George and Charlotte Streets)

Drop in to find out how you can join the campaign and get Queen's Park to put people first again.

You can help out in many ways:

• make a donation to the Dave Nickle campaign
• ask to have a Dave Nickle sign put on your lawn
• volunteer: in the office, canvass on the phone or door-to-door, or join our sign team
• if you live outside Peterborough city, help us better reach the rural communities of our riding

Every little bit helps, whether you can write a big or small cheque, volunteer every weekend or for half an hour, or just wear a Vote for Dave pin.

For more information, call 705-741-3244.

Look forward to seeing you!