What We Are

We are a registered society and a national charity with these objectives:

• to promote the optimal care and well being of children
  
  
• to encourage and develop a recognition of the importance of child care being provided within the home by a parent

History

Kids First Parent Association of Canada was started in 1987.

Kids First has worked hard to provide data that exposes unfair discrimination against family-based care-giving of children and those (mostly mothers) who do it. Discrimination is widespread. It is found in legislation and policy concerning

• definitions of “child care” that exclude care by family/parents
• definitions of “work” that exclude care-work outside of the GDP sector
• funding for lobbying
• child care funding and subsidies
• taxation
• unemployment insurance
• maternity benefits
• social assistance
• census data
• child and spousal support
• pensions, etc.

We have struggled to have the voice of the 90% of families that do not use daycare even heard by legislators.

We stand for the well-being of children and their families, parental choice in child care, and for equity in child care funding.

Executive members made presentations to government committees, met with politicians and established a national network. Demonstrations to raise public awareness, guest appearances on radio and at speaking engagements raised public profile of the equality movement. National petitions were held and ultimately there was a two pronged challenge launched in the Income Tax Court of Canada in 1993 (Boland). Fund-raising and hiring of expert witnesses for this court challenge paid off—the court did rule that there was a discrimination currently in the law.