About B2C2
2006 Annual Report
2006 Annual Report available for download in PDF format (3.3mb)
The need for Building Blocks for Child Care: The Canadian Development Agency for Early Learning and Child Care Services (B2C2) was originally identified in 2005 in response to the anticipated period of accelerated growth in early learning and child care programs. Such an agency was deemed urgent to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the new federal commitment of $5 billion over 5 years and the resulting federal/provincial/territorial child care agreements.
In the agreements, there was concurrence to support and expand early learning and child care based on the QUAD principles: Quality, Universality, Accessibility and Developmental. There was also a commitment to share best practices and research findings. There were, and still are, few vehicles in place to support these commitments.
With a new Conservative government in Ottawa, opportunities for the non-profit sector appear even more bleak. The Conservative government policy to offer cash subsidies to parents and incentives to businesses and community organizations to create new spaces, the not-for profit sector will hasten the development of the for-profit child care sector. This is why B2C2 will continue its activity to establish a community-based development agency.
Experience demonstrates that the availability of unrestricted public funds squeezes out existing owner-operators and community-based programs in favour of corporate interests. For example, Australia’s national government introduced similar measures a decade ago. Corporate child care chains emerged and gobbled up the public dollars. They now dominate the field and are posting record profits. Meanwhile the media regularly reports miserable operating conditions and declining access for vulnerable populations.
The U.S. and Britain provide parallel examples. Also worrisome are provisions within the North American Free Trade Agreement that would provide U.S. corporations with equal access to public funding to expand their child care chains into Canada.
Public money should not bolster a private commodity. Child care should be a community asset. Where child care is located, who it serves, how and when it operates should not be the decision of entrepreneurs — large or small. Conversely, it cannot be left to the good will and resourcefulness of a handful of volunteers to develop essential services. If it is to compete in the new environment created by the federal child care initiative, the community child care sector requires a stable and enabling infrastructure to support its development.
Child care in Canada has been aptly described by the OECD as a “patchwork service”. Existing programs largely reflect the commitment of community leadership. Sometimes they result from entrepreneurial efforts; far less often they are the product of planned development by municipal, provincial or territorial governments. In some regions, community-based child care is non-existent or very fragile. It is difficult to establish non-profit early learning and child care programs in smaller towns, new suburban housing developments, northern and rural communities or in vulnerable neighbourhoods in major municipalities.
Despite its obvious weaknesses there is much expertise in the field. It is however scattered throughout the country. A child care development agency will consolidate the country-wide expertise; link those who want to start programs with existing networks or provide direct support when local networks are unavailable. Where networks do not exist, the agency will work with local leaders to create the much-needed infrastructure. By consolidating and communicating experience and expertise it will not be necessary for each community to reinvent the wheel.