- Universal access to publicly-funded, non-profit, high quality care for children from birth to 12 years.
- A comprehensive system including full-day infant and pre-school care, part-time programs, lunch time and before- and after-school services, group care, home care and resource centres. The integration of children with special needs and children whose parents are shift workers is also key.
- Diverse services that reflect the requirements of urban and rural residents and are sensitive to linguistic, cultural and regional variations across the country.
- A flexible approach, linked to user needs, accountable to the community, and responsive to language and culture. Parental and employee participation is essential for quality child care services.
- Better wages, salaries and benefits for child care workers. In-service training, full compensation while attending early childhood education programs, built-in relief-substitute provisions and workshops on quality care are essential support programs.
- Integrated services through new, autonomous child resource departments or divisions at the federal, provincial, territorial and municipal levels of government. Jurisdiction should not rest with welfare-oriented departments or ministries.
- Community-based group child care centres and/or municipally operated child care services should be the hub around which satellite child resource programs and home child care services can be integrated.
