Canada’s New Government Delivers on Choice in Child Care

Peterborough, ON - Canada’s New government is delivering on an-other promise -- Canada’s first truly Universal Child Care Plan. The plan will see $7.8 million dol-lars being distributed directly to parents in the Peterborough Riding.

“Canada’s New Government is delivering choice, support and spaces through the country’s firstUniversal Child Care Plan,” says Member of Parliament for Peterborough, Dean Del Mastro.“Watch your mailbox because the first Universal Child Care Benefit cheques are being mailed thisweek to parents of children under six years of age across Canada.”

The Conservative government’s Universal Child Care Plan includes:

• A Universal Child Care Benefit of $1,200 per year paid directly to parents for each child under six, and,
• The Child Care Spaces Initiative to support the creation of new child care spaces that meet the real needs of families across Canada.

 The Universal Child Care Benefit will be paid to families in monthly installments of $100 for eachchild under six. It is estimated that 1.6 million families will receive the Universal Child Care Bene-fit on behalf of a total of 2.1 million children under the age of six.

Beginning in 2007, the Government of Canada will also spend $250 million each year to create 25,000 new child care spaces annually.

More than 90 percent of Canadian parents who are already registered for the Canada Child TaxBenefit (CCTB) will automatically receive the Universal Child Care Benefit cheques. Parents whodo not receive the CCTB can register to receive the $1,200 per year Universal child Care Benefitby visiting www.universalchildcare.ca. Parents who register after July 2006 will be eligible to re-ceive retroactive payments for up to 11 months.

“For too long, Canadian families have been given vague promises of a nationalchild care plan” MP Del Mastro said. “Prime Minister Stephen Harper promiseda plan to provide parents with choice through direct child care support for theirchildren under age six, and today Canada’s New Government is delivering onthat promise.”