Colleagues, I rise today in support of Bill C-35, An Act respecting early learning and child care in Canada, and to encourage you to work quickly and diligently to send this bill to committee as soon as possible.

Senator Moodie, thank you for the extensive and comprehensive history and overview of the promise and vision of Bill C-35.

I just attended the technical briefing on Bill C-35; it was very informative and laid out the various partnerships, including the national and regional Indigenous early learning and child care partnership tables, as well as the provincial and territorial partnerships, that have led us to this day.

This bill enshrines a framework for a national early learning and child care system in law. It also sets out a national advisory council that is necessary to maintain best practices through evidence and research, to report on progress toward achieving these goals and, even more important, to course correct when needed.

It is bold and forward-looking, and shows that Canada values children, families and women who often, but not always, bear the brunt of child rearing. It is about today and our future. It is about helping families find the right work-life balance.

Esteemed colleagues, I address you today as a mother, grandmother, pediatrician and now a senator.

As a pediatrics resident some 30-plus years ago, I experienced the significant impact of not having readily available and affordable child care. It would have made a world of difference if child care had been readily available in my institution or close by. Many parents of my patients struggle to find high-quality, affordable child care that will allow them to earn an income and/or obtain training that will improve their earning potential — and also improve the trajectory of their child’s development and health.

My remarks will focus on two main areas: the economic cost of not having a national early learning and child care framework; and the health and educational impacts of not having a national early learning and child care framework.

The Institute for Research on Public Policy report entitled Early Learning and Child Care in Canada: Where Have We Come From, Where Are We Going? notes:

. . . child care fees have continued to rise and there has been mixed progress across provinces and territories on staff-child ratios, wages for early childhood educators . . . .

According to the report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives entitled In progress: Child care fees in Canada 2019, the median cost in Toronto for an infant was $1,774; in Quebec, thankfully, it is an average of $179; and, in Manitoba, it is a set fee of $651 per month. This is important. The report concludes, “. . . lower child care fees in Canada are due to public policy, not market pressures.”

Analyses on the effect of affordable child care — in Quebec — on workforce participation by women and on the gross domestic product of Quebec are very positive. This means it makes economic sense to facilitate the re-entry of mothers into the workforce.

My second area of focus is the impact of early child care on development and mitigating the consequences of poverty and early adversity. Of course, this needs to be high-quality child care that respects the needs of the various children’s and families’ circumstances, as well as Indigenous services and culturally relevant services.

My mother was a teacher, and, as a young mother, she was able to take me to school with her when I was two years old. Dear colleagues, I’ve been in formal school of some form since two years old, and now, at this stage in my life, I have entered another kind of school. More importantly, that meant that I had an early start — a head start — and that, in no small part, explains why I became a doctor, and why I have been honoured to be appointed to the Senate of Canada.

We know that children who are exposed to enriched environments enter school with vocabularies that far exceed children who have early adversity. Early education and high‑quality child care is an investment in the prevention of a host of lifelong health outcomes, like diabetes, heart disease and mental health problems, as well as low educational achievement.

Some might say it is like an insurance policy — against the adversities of life — that promotes resilience and prosperity for all.

The Institute for Research on Public Policy has several recommendations. I would highlight this one in particular: “Rapidly expand not-for-profit and public child care facilities.” This can be achieved by encouraging “. . . the delivery of more child care services by municipalities, colleges and school boards.”

I would also add “large institutions and employers.”

Many parents would relay to me the long distances and early wake-up times of 5 a.m. for children because they would need to take them to a child care facility due to there not being any spaces at the child care centre at the child’s school. The same process would be repeated in the evening. Many of those children presented behavioural and learning issues due to the lack of sleep. Need I say more?

In closing, colleagues, as Senator Moodie stated in her speech yesterday:

The pandemic led to a new wave of advocacy by parents, families, child care experts, labour unions, academics and economists, all of whom wanted high-quality, affordable, accessible and inclusive child care as a crucial step to reversing the harms of the pandemic and building a society for all.

This is an investment in our children and families. It is an investment in our future.

I urge you, honourable colleagues, to move with due diligence, sober second thought and some haste to ensure that this bill reaches committee as soon as possible. Children, families and Canadians are depending on us.

Thank you. Meegwetch.