As everyone probably knows, we now have a new Minister of Families, Children and Social Development. At first blush, Minister Karina Gould appears to be the perfect minister to shepherd the National Early Learning and Child Care Strategy through the difficult hurdles ahead.

Karina is an experienced minister having previously acted as Minister of International
Development and Minister of Democratic Institutions. In this role, she worked closely with Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Friedland, another strong advocate for the ELCC strategy.

Karina is young, bright and very supportive of child care. As a mother of a pre-schooler, and a member of Parliament from Burlington, Ontario, Karina is no stranger to the issues facing the Ontario early learning and child care sector. Her biography suggests that she is “passionate about helping Canadian families”. The word
on the street from everyone who has talked to her suggests that she exhibits that passion, understands the ELCC issues and is enthusiastic about delivering on this key promise. Karina does not want to be another Minister (or part of a Government) that failed to deliver on another child care promise. Within two weeks of taking office, she was on the prime local morning radio program in Toronto challenging her provincial counterpart, Minister Stephen Lecce, to come to the table and suggesting that the Ontario Government’s claims that there wasn’t enough money, were decidedly unfounded.

As the first woman federal Cabinet minister to give birth while in office, Minister Gould
promises to be a real trailblazer!

Let’s give her as much support as possible!