CUPE brings cautionary tale to C303 hearings

Don’t go down the path they chose Down Under.

That was the message CUPE brought to a parliamentary committee holding hearings on Bill C303, the Early Learning and Child Care Act. CUPE and other child care advocates support the legislation, which outlines the framework for a high-quality, universal and accountable child care system.

Jamie Kass, chair of CUPE’s national child care working group and Shellie Bird, long-time child care worker and CUPE 2204 member, presented a brief that included a cautionary tale about Australia’s experience with for-profit child care delivery, and highlighted the connections between quality and wages and working conditions.

Kass applauded C303’s commitment to a public, non-profit system. The bill directs any new federal funds to non-profit delivery. She described the “sobering” tale of Australia, where the commercial child care sector mushroomed after the government opened up funding to for-profit delivery.

LINK: CUPE