Re-elect Garry Breitkreuz

Harper plan to create 125,000 new child care spaces

January 6, 2006

Community Child Care Investment Program will provide employers $10,000 assistance for each new space

BOLTON, ON – Today Conservative Leader Stephen Harper provided details of the Conservative plan to create 125,000 new child care spaces in the next five years.

“Like so many Canadian parents, Laureen and I know, first hand, the challenges that face a modern family including the challenge of striking the right balance between work and family life – between earning a living and investing time in parenting,” Harper said. “Work arrangements for men and women are more varied than ever before. Child care is expensive, and quality child care is often hard to find. That is why we need a government with a plan that will actually create new child care spaces.”

“Our approach is centred on parents and focused on giving them choices,” Harper said. “Today I want to unveil details of our Community Child Care Investment Program that will create 125,000 child care spaces for working parents.”

A Conservative government will:

· Create 125,000 new child care spaces over five years;

· Provide $10,000 in assistance to employers, including businesses and non-profit institutions, for each new child care space created;

· Make it easier for working parents to juggle child care and work responsibilities;

· Help employers create child care spaces in the workplace by allocating $250 million a year in tax credits to employers who cover the full cost of creating spaces; and

· Design the program to ensure that small business and rural communities will be able to access it as well as larger employers and cities.

“If you support this government’s approach to this issue, you can give them a fifth chance to show results,” Harper said. “But if you want to create 125,000 new child care spaces and choice in child care for parents, then elect a new Conservative government.”

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