A federal-provincial meeting opens in Vancouver on Friday to discuss the creation of a national child-care system.

Also present will be dozens of children's advocates who want an agreement that will lead to high-quality, affordable day care across the country.

Many of the advocates have been lobbying for a national child-care system for decades. At the head of their list of demands is a clear definition of what is meant by a high-quality, affordable day-care system focused on early childhood development.

They want national standards and they want those standards enshrined in federal legislation.

"Principles are all well and good, but priorities change, governments change. With legislation, with a national Child Care Act we have a guarantee," said Debra Mayer, who heads the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada.

Social Development Minister Ken Dryden says he believes the Vancouver meeting will lead to a consensus on both the principles, and Ottawa's requirement of provincial accountability.

Alberta Minister for Children's Services Heather Forsyth

The Liberals have pledged $5 billion over five years to create a national system, but already Alberta has said it won't sign any deal that leaves out for-profit day care.

Quebec also has its own system and doesn't want Ottawa to interfere.

Alberta Minister for Children's Services Heather Forsyth said earlier this week that the province wants to take the money Ottawa has to offer and create its own program.

"We have said; 'No, we won't be signing any agreement,' because we do not want to be told from Ottawa where our parents have to go, or where our children have to go. We want parents in this province to have [a] choice," she said.

Forsyth says the Alberta plan would go beyond funding day care and could include subsidies for parents who stay at home.

A study released Monday by Statistics Canada shows more Canadians are relying on child-care arrangements.

It shows 53 per cent of children from six months to five years were in day care in 2001. That's up from 42 per cent in 1995.

The proportion of children who were looked after in their own home by a relative nearly doubled.

The Liberals have said the $5 billion will be available to any regulated centre that meets the as yet unspecified federal quality standards.