Canada's New National Childcare Program: Ensuring the Rural Message Is Heard

The government of Canada announced in the October 2004 Speech from the Throne that it will move ahead with its long-awaited national childcare program. In early 2005, federal, provincial and territorial ministers will meet to forge a deal for a national childcare program. The national Advisory Committee on Rural Issues applauds this attention to a new deal for childcare and early education. In its deliberations, and from its various regions, it is clear that the development of human capital, which must start very early, is absolutely essential for a healthy and productive rural population, and vitality in the rural economy. The appropriate early childhood development program will be an important means to this end. However, the Committee is also aware that national programs, if they are to be useful to rural populations, must be tailored to the peculiarities of the rural setting. For this reason, the Committee strongly urges program designers to seriously consider the result of its deliberations on this very important initiative. This report explains why this issue is important to rural, how childcare needs are different for rural than for urban, why the differences are important to public policy, and it describes the public policy options. The national Advisory Committee on Rural Issues recommends that the national childcare program include a childcare strategy for rural and remote Canada. It is clear from the research that a one-size-fits-all strategy will not work. Several recommendations are presented. Appended are: (1) Case Studies of Rural Childcare; and (2) Advisory Committee on Rural Issues: List of Members, March 2005. (Contains 4 endnotes.)