Community Plan for a Public System of Integrated Early Care and Learning

The Plan
Builds on Well Established Evidence
Public spending on the early years is a wise social and economic investment Quality child care IS early learning High quality promotes healthy development Children and Families have a right to quality care and learning Current policies and approaches are not working

Responds to 2 conflicting realities

On the one hand
BCs implementation of full school day Kindergarten for 5 year olds Early Learning (StrongStart, Ready Set Learn, etc) delivered by Ministry of Education and Boards of Education - reflects a national and international trend

On the other hand

BCs worsening child care crisis Failure of current policies reflected in High fees

Low wages
Few spaces

Growth of commercial child care chains

Municipalities, organizations and communities will never be able to solve the child care crisis on their own.

How Wealthy is Canada?

GDP per capita (in U.S. $)
50,000 45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000

25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 US NO IE CA DK NL AT BE AU SE UK FR FI IT DE KR PT CZ HU MX

Source: OECD. (2006). Starting Strong II: Early Childhood Education and Care. Annex C, page 246.

International Public Spending

Public Spending on ELCC for children 0 -6 (% of GDP)

3 2.5 2
% of GDP

1.5 1 0.5 0 DK NO SE FI FR HU AT UK US DE NL IT AU CA

Source: OECD. (2006). Starting Strong II: Early Childhood Education and Care. Annex C, page 246.

International Accessibility
100 90 80 70 60

50 40 30 20 10 0 BE FR IT UK DE DK SE NL HU NO AT CZ PT AU MX KR FI US IE CA

Source: OECD. (2006). Starting Strong II: Early Childhood Education and Care. Country Profiles. AU, CZ, FI, HU, NL, UK Estimated (averaged across ages 3-6). DE Estimated (averaged across ABL and NBL). CA Children 0-6 in care including regulated family day care.

EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE IN BC Public Investment per Unit

BC Annual Spending ($)

EDUCATION CHILD CARE
per pupil (K-12) Total regulated, per child (0-12 years)

Total regulated, per space (0-12 years)

(2011/2012 BC Provincial Budget)

(ECEC in Canada 2008, Table 12)

Operating Funding, per FT group space (3-5 years)

http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/childcare/pdfs/ccof_rates.pdf, calculation based on $5.48/day x 248 days/year)

Plan integrates the best of

Public Education and Quality Child Care
Universal access Public funding Democratic control Public support and respected workforce Infrastructure to deliver Caring and nurturing Respect for childrens rights Play-based, holistic Community-based Intimate relationship with families Extended hours

6 Highlights of the $10/Day Plan

1. Early Care and Learning Act for BC

Legislate rights of:
All young children to access quality services that respect their unique developmental needs All families to access quality, affordable care for their children on a voluntary basis First Nations to govern their own services

2. New Home in Ministry of Education

For all community & school-based early care & learning programs
School still starts with Kindergarten at age 5
Extends strengths of public education to younger children Protects and welcomes in existing community delivered child care services

Ministry of Education
Moved to Education New Zealand, Spain, Slovenia, England, Scotland, Brazil, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, France, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Germany In Canada Ontario, NB, PEI, Sask, Nunavut, NWT

3. New Role for Boards of Education

Elected Boards of Education mandated & funded to plan, develop, and govern the delivery of early care and learning services (EC&L) in their Districts.
Work with community and municipality on EC&L Plan Create standing EC&L Committees of stakeholders Designate a Trustee as the EC&L liaison Dedicate staff to support EC&L Ensure appropriate facilities on or off school sites

4. Early Years Centre (EYC) Networks

Clusters of early care and learning programs that meet the needs of infants, toddlers, and three to five year olds while their parents at work, school or home.
Alternative, more appropriate than pre K for BC Evolve from existing licensed child care into integrated neighbourhood EYC networks School districts develop new EYCs to meet demonstrated needs Play-based, diverse approaches to early care and learning

4. To be part of an EYC Network

Accountable for NEW public funding to
Cap parent fees $10/day full-time, $7 part-time, no user fee under $40,000 annual income Improve wages and education average $25 an hour + 20% benefits Include ALL children Meet demonstrated community need Program consistent with Early Learning Frameworks

5. Enhance Kindergarten & Grade 1

School entry remains at age 5
Enhance Kindergarten
Early Childhood Educators to work with Teachers and Education Assistants as professional colleagues to:
Strengthen adult/child relationships Cover full working day and full year Enhance ECE practice in schools

Enhance Grade 1 with same approach

5. School Age Care Grade 2 and up

Boards of Education responsible for school age care
Existing school age child care providers integrated into new system New programs developed & delivered by Boards of Education where there is a need Stronger support for the Middle Years

6. Investing in the Workforce

Success of new system depends on a well respected, well educated, well compensated workforce $25/hr average plus 20% benefits Enhance quality Respect expertise of Early Childhood Educators Move towards parity with teachers
Bachelor of Early Childhood Education as new educational standard for sector Diploma as minimum for group, family & school age care.

Support sector to upgrade qualifications

What about private-operators?

The Plan welcomes existing small independent owner/operators and commercial operators on the same conditions as existing non-profit programs and family child care providers Operators can continue to operate independently if they wish

Quebec results
$7 a day daycare
After 12 years, the Quebec scheme more than pays for itself through mothers annual income and consumption taxes For every dollar Quebec invests, it recoups $1.05 and Ottawa receives 44-cents By 2008 - 70,000 more women had entered the workforce, their employment pumped an additional $5.2 billion into the economy and increased GDP by 1.7%
Dr. Pierre Fortin, Economics Professor at University of Quebec, 2011

Benefits to the BC economy

An estimated: 17,000 more working women $500 million more in taxes collected 23,000 Early Childhood Educators better paid $300 million saved by business

Dr. Paul Kershaw, New Deal for Families 2011

Implementationstarting options
Immediately reduce parent fees to $10/day in every Infant + Toddler Licensed Family and Group space across BC Costed at less than $100 million Demonstration Sites of Early Years Centre Networks in 5 or 6 BC communities

Support & Endorsement

Municipal Governments and Governmental Organizations Burnaby, Duncan, North Vancouver, Surrey, Williams Lake, New Westminster, Vancouver, Dawson Creek, Fort St John, Vernon, Bowen Island, Comox, Ladysmith, North Cowichan Union of British Columbia Municipalities

ECD and Child Care Organizations (examples) BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils Campbell River Early Childhood Development Table Canadian Child Care Federation Cowichan Valley ECEBC Branch First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition Kootenay Kids Society School Age Child Care Association of BC Shuswap Early Childhood Development Committee Sunshine Coast Early Childhood Development Planning Table Williams Lake Children First Initiative

Support continues.
Labour BC Federation of Labour, Canadian Labour Congress BCGEU, CUPE BC, CAW, BCFMWU, CEU, BCTF , UFCW 247, IUOE 963, COPE 378 BC Nurses Union, Health Sciences Association, HEU Surrey Board of Trade Boards of Education Campbell River, Kootenay Columbia, Sunshine Coast, Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Sunshine Coast, Gulf Islands, Nanaimo-Ladysmith, Cowichan Valley Community, Service and Advocacy Tables (examples) ACORN Canada BC Retired Teachers Association Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives BC office Canadian Federation of University Women BC Council Canadian Federation of Students BC Poverty Reduction Coalition Prince Rupert Association for Community Living

Academic Support
Early Childhood Education Articulation Committee Enid Elliot, Ph.D. Adjunct Professor, University of Victoria School of Child and Youth Care Dr. Paul Kershaw Ph.D. UBC Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) University of British Columbia Laurie Kocher, Ph.D. Early Childhood Education Program Douglas College, BC Charles E. Pascal, Ph.D. Author of Ontarios early learning blueprint, With Our Best Future in Mind Professor of Human Development, University of Toronto UVic School of Child & Youth Care

Mobilizing Support
Motion endorsing the Plan
We endorse the Community Plan for a Public System of Integrated Early Care and Learning proposed by the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC and the Early Childhood Educators of BC. This Plan has the potential to make a real difference for BC children, families and communities. We urge politicians to commit to the Plan's vision and work with communities to immediately begin its implementation.

What Can You Do?

Endorse the Plan yourself / your organization Circulate and mail in the Postcards Use Facebook & Twitter to share information Start a petition that asks the Premier & Leader of Opposition to implement the Plan. Email your MLA, MP, Council & School Board asking them to support the Plan.

Thank you!