Federal minister touts child care investment during Hamilton visit

The federal government’s promise to create 40,000 new affordable child care spaces over three years will apparently include about 1,000 new spaces in Hamilton.

Jean Yves Duclos, Canada’s Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, was at Tim Horton’s Field on Wednesday morning to promote his government’s investments in early learning.

Duclos says his government is on track to deliver on its commitment, with more than one-third of the promised child care spaces created during the 2017-2018 fiscal year.

Hamilton-East/Stoney Creek Liberal MP Bob Bratina outlined the local impact, saying “while we never know until the applications are in and approved what the exact number will be, we understand it’s in excess of a thousand for our city, itself.”

Duclos says the new spaces are being created with consideration for families in need, such as lower-income families, lone-parent families, Indigenous families and those working non-standard hours.

The Liberal cabinet minister used the 24,000 seat, Tim Horton’s Field to illustrate the number of child care spaces being created across the country, asking people to “imagine we have two children, in fact, sitting in each of these seats.”