Every child deserves the best start in life.
That's why, today in Montreal, the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Transport and Quebec lieutenant, and the Honourable Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, announced $123 million over four years, with $82 million through 2025-2026, to help build more inclusive child care spaces across Quebec through the Government of Canada's $625 million Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund. This investment will help Quebec reach the shared goal of building 30,000 new child care spaces by 2026. The funding announced today builds on previous investments made under the asymmetrical agreement between the governments of Canada and Quebec on early learning and child care.
Funding from the Government of Canada will enable Quebec to support its priorities in terms of early childhood education and care, and measures to improve inclusiveness.
Across Canada, over 750,000 kids are already benefiting from affordable, high-quality child care, with some families saving up to $14,300 per child, per year. Alongside provinces and territories, the Government of Canada has also announced over 100,000 new spaces, well on the way to reaching the goal of creating 250,000 new spaces by March 2026.
Investing in affordable child care is about helping more families save thousands of dollars on child care and ensuring that every child has the best start in life. The measures highlighted above complement what the Government of Canada is doing in Budget 2024 to build a fairer Canada for every generation. The Government of Canada is building more homes, strengthening public health care, making life cost less, and growing the economy in a way that is shared by all-to make sure every generation has a fair chance at building a good middle-class life.
