It was a joy for me to start heading back out into the community in March following the birth of my daughter in January. I joined Haltech to celebrate International Women’s Day and had the pleasure of being the inaugural speaker for the Burlington Chamber of Commerce’s Signature Speakers Series. It was great to catch up with folks in the community and to talk about a range of issues on that matter.

I was thrilled that Bill C-35, An Act Respecting Early Learning and Childcare received Royal Assent, enshrining the Federal government’s role in childcare in Canada. This was legislation that I introduced in December 2022. Last week saw an additional $1 Billion of federal investments to build more childcare spaces. Reducing fees has been a game changer for those who have a spot or are able to secure one, but there are still too many parents and caregivers unable to access a childcare space. This investment will help spur the building of new spaces across the country as we continue to build a national affordable childcare system.

On April 1st, the Government announced a new National School Food Program. With an investment of $1 billion over five years, the Program, included in Budget 2024, will launch with a target of providing meals to 400,000 more kids every year, beyond those served by existing school food programs. For moms and dads, it will mean the peace of mind that your kids are taken care of and do not go hungry. For kids, it will mean healthy meals – helping them learn, grow, and reach their full potential. This is a generational investment in the future of our kids, and we’re going to work with provinces and territories and Indigenous partners to ensure every child has the food they need.

Finally, my office continues to offer our Free Tax Clinic for Burlington residents with modest incomes. The Tax Clinic runs Tuesdays from 10 AM to 1 PM and Thursdays from 1 PM to 3 PM until April 30th. Filing income taxes is important in order to access federal benefits.

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