For immediate release
Tuesday, February 18, 2003

            Federal Budget:  A bitter disappointment for child care!

  Today's budget completely ignores the country's need for an early childhood
education and care (ECEC) system and leaves Chretien with no legacy to speak of.

"Today's announcement amounts to only $25 million next year for child care",
explains Shellie Bird, President, Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care
(OCBCC).  "While the rest will come in the following 4 years, it is still far
too small a step.  In fact, assuming that Ontario will receive 40 % of this new
funding next year, which equals $10 million, it only works out to just over $5
per child under 12 in Ontario in the first year!



"  Bird continues, "The European
Union (EU) has found that to deliver high quality, accessible and affordable
ECEC, they are spending 1% of the GDP every year - that would be $10 billion
annually for Canada."

Cindy Tilson, a parent and chair of the Sudbury Community Child Care Action
Network agrees:  "Canada cannot under fund ECEC much longer.  Everyone knows how
important the first 6 years of a child's life are to her intellectual and social
development and health.  Everyone knows that investing in the early years also
makes the most economic sense for a society - every $1 dollar invested in ECEC
returns at least $2 later in economic and social benefits.  The sooner they
commit serious funding the better."

"We've been calling on this government to take leadership on bringing a national
child care plan to Canada since they themselves made it a priority in 1993.
Today, we are again disappointed.  We don't yet seem to have the funding and
policy framework - the right architecture - that we need, nor do we have the
financial commitment," states Cheryl DeGras, Executive Director, OCBCC.  DeGras
also adds, "Scheduling the bulk of the spending to the end of a 5 year funding
plan also makes this commitment very vulnerable to being abandoned down the
road.  The Finance Minister today spoke of choices - what kind of choice does
this give to families?"

DeGras is referring to the requirement, hoped for by many across Canada but not
indicated by Finance Minister Manley today, but predicted with great confidence
in the last few weeks, guaranteeing that only those provinces and territories
that comply to funding requirements of accountability and regulated care will be
able to participate in the national plan and receive funding.

"The OCBCC supports these accountability principles whole-heartedly and was
hoping to celebrate the federal government's vision and determination today,"
says DeGras, continuing: "The children and families of Ontario were counting on
our federal government to make child care work in Canada.  They want regulated,
high quality ECEC.  They also support Ontario not receiving another penny for
ECEC if there is no way of making sure that they in fact spend it on child
care."

Cheryl DeGras, Executive Director, OCBCC - 416-538-0628, x 4
Shellie Bird, President, OCBCC - 613-233-0228
Kira Heineck, Public Education Coordinator, OCBCC - 416-538-0628, x 3
Cindy Tilson, Chair, Sudbury Community Child Care Action Network - 705-674-3334

                                      -30-

The  Ontario  Coalition  for  Better Child Care (OCBCC) represents the voices of
over  450  members  including  organizations,  agencies,  childcare centres, and
individuals  across  the  province  concerned  with  the  improvement  of  early
childhood education and care in Ontario.