A Content Analysis of Child Care Advocacy Messages Communicated by the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada from 2005-2010

This research project used a content analysis to examine advocacy messages in documents released by a social movement organization, the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada, from2005-2010. Of particular interest were advocacy messages that focused on national childcare system issues (accessibility, affordability, quality, universality, publicly funded, delivery, governance, ECEC staffing issues and market approach)and policy frames (child development, equity for disadvantaged groups, poverty reduction, labour force participation, business case-human capital and rights of children, women and families) used to justify the need for system changes. Findings indicate that CCAAC's advocacy messages remained consistent from 2005-2010 with slight increases in 2005, 2008, and 2009 when the political climate at the federal level offered opportunities for CCAAC to play up certain messages to their audiences.