A Canadian Coalition of Childcare Operators
Child Care Operators Call for Real Solutions, Not Political Agendas
We need real solutions—sustainable funding, parent choice, and a system that supports all providers, not just government-favored ones.— Krystal Churcher, Co-Chair of ACE National
CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA, March 5, 2025 /
EINPresswire.com/ -- The Association of Childcare Entrepreneurs (ACE) is calling on policymakers to look beyond the misleading campaign being spread by Canadian unions and advocacy groups and instead listen to the
child care operators who have been implementing CWELCC on the ground.
A recently published open letter signed by over 100 organizations is being used to pressure provincial leaders into signing a five-year extension of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) program, but a closer look at the signatories reveals a troubling reality. The majority of those who signed are not actual child care providers.
Who Signed the petition? Not who the campaign organizers claim.
According to the signatory list, only a fraction of the 100+ organizations are actual child care centers. The majority are unions, advocacy groups, and government-funded associations that have actively promoted CWELCC while ignoring its devastating consequences for accessibility, quality, and parental choice.
Among the signatories are:
- Unions such as CUPE, Unifor, and the Ontario Federation of Labour—organizations that do not operate child care centers but have a vested financial and political interest in expanding government-run care.
- Government-funded advocacy groups such as Child Care Now and the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, which receive taxpayer money to push the federal government’s preferred narrative.
- Policy groups and research centers that are disconnected from the realities of child care operations but continue to dictate policy with no firsthand experience in running a child care center.
This is not a grassroots call for action—it is a coordinated, politically motivated effort to suppress real concerns from those who work in child care every day.
Three Years of CWELCC: A Failing System That Needs Reform, Not an Extension
The CWELCC program was rushed into implementation without addressing critical issues, and now, three years later, the consequences are clear. Only 33 percent of families can access a $10-a-day space, leaving hundreds of thousands stranded on waitlists. Private operators—who provide the majority of child care spaces—are being pushed out, reducing parental choice. Underfunding is forcing centers to cut back on quality, reducing support for children with additional needs.
“Extending CWELCC without addressing these failures is reckless,” said Krystal Churcher, Co-Chair of
ACE National. “We need real solutions—sustainable funding, parent choice, and a system that supports all providers, not just government-favored ones.”
ACE National is calling on Governments to reject the pressure tactics of unions and politically motivated groups that prioritize ideology over children’s needs. ACE urges policymakers to demand transparency, fix the program’s structural failures, and engage directly with the real child care community—not just government-funded organizations.
The child care sector cannot afford another five years of dysfunction. Instead of signing onto a failing system, provincial leaders should engage with the real child care providers who have been delivering care under CWELCC and demand the necessary reforms to ensure true accessibility and sustainability.
ACE stands with the frontline operators, educators, and families who are calling for meaningful change, not another political rubber stamp.
Krystal Churcher, Co-Chair
A Canadian Coalition of Childcare Operators
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