Childcare
New Brunswick should show leadership in federal-provincial-territorial child care negotiations
Three organizations, the New Brunswick Federation of Labour, the Regroupement féministe du Nouveau-Brunswick and the New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity, join their voices to call on the New Brunswick Government to play a leadership role in their bilateral child care negotiations with the Federal Government.
“It is very disappointing to see that universal entitlement to child care programs was not one of the principles included in the multilateral framework developed by the federal, provincial and territorial governments, especially since it was one of the platform commitments of the Liberal Party of Canada, ”says Shanny Doucet, the Vice-President responsible for Women’s Issues with the New Brunswick Federation of Labour, “The evidence and the lived-experience of many jurisdictions show that programs where everyone has access work the best.”
On June 12, Provincial, Territorial and the Federal Governments signed a Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework Agreement in Ottawa. The Framework is based on the following principles of quality, accessibility, affordability, flexibility and inclusivity.
“Given that the New Brunswick Child Care Task Force Report calls for ‘pursuing ongoing development of a universal high quality early learning and child care system’ and for ‘moving early learning and child care towards a system with greater public management and funding,’ the New Brunswick Government must push to add universality in its bilateral negotiations with the Federal Government, says Louise Imbeault, Interim Chairperson of the the Regroupement féministe du Nouveau-Brunswick. “All New Brunswick families who need child care should be able to access high quality programs that respect both linguistic communities at an affordable price, not just targeted populations.”
“One critical factor to ensure quality child care is providing adequate wages for educators. This would help with recruitment and diminish staff turnover rates. In addition, wages are an important incentive to encourage training and invest in a career in child care. In fact, the New Brunswick Child Care Task Force Report recommended that pay of child care educators reflect level of certification and principles of pay equity. Fundamentally, pay equity is a human right and should be prioritized by our governments” concludes Frances LeBlanc, Chair of the New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity. The Coalition for Pay Equity urges the New Brunswick Government to report on salary levels, as an indicator of quality, in addition to staff training.
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For additional information, please contact:
Shanny Doucet
Vice President responsible for Women’s Issues
New Brunswick Federation of Labour
227-9900 (cell)
Nelly Dennene
Executive Director
Regroupement féministe du Nouveau-Brunswick
381-2255 (w) / 381-9603 (cell)
Frances LeBlanc
Chairperson
New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity
850-1033