OTTAWA -- The federal families minister says he and his provincial counterparts appear on the fast-track towards a long-discussed national child care program.
Jean-Yves Duclos says the federal and provincial governments should be able to come to an agreement on a framework for a national early learning and child care program because they aren't starting from scratch.
The provinces and federal government signed agreements for a national daycare plan in 2005 under Paul Martin's Liberal government.
The Conservatives cancelled the deals in 2006 and replaced the funding to provinces with a universal child care benefit directly to families.
Duclos says a new program will improve existing child care services and create new spaces across the country.
He says the framework will not be a one-for-all model, but will take into account the different services, needs and requirements in each province and territory.
