It’s well known that the first five years of life set the stage for children’s lifelong health and well-being. Isn’t it critical that we all take responsibility for making sure our children get the best care and education possible in their early years?

CUPW thinks it is. Our long struggle to obtain the Child Care Fund shows how reluctant employers are to do something about helping parents balance work and family. It shows how most governments still treat the early years as the least, instead of the most, important period of development. But above all, it demonstrates that progress can be made when workers stick together and demand that child care be treated as a priority.

For CUPW, child care is a collective responsibility and an important equity issue.

It’s not fair to expect parents to deal on their own with finding and paying for high quality early childhood care and education, especially given the social and economic pressures working families are under today. Moreover, quality child care does not just benefit parents and children: society also gains.

With high quality child care that meets their needs, parents can work with peace of mind, enjoy family life and provide their children with a good start.

Women in particular need quality, dependable child care so that they can enter into and remain in the workforce, and participate fully in family life and in their union.