It has been a significant accomplishment that Ontario has so many high quality child care centers.
It is also a significant accomplishment that parents and childcare operators have been successful in convincing governments to establish an affordable childcare program with modest wage increases.
But the affordable childcare program is being rolled out very poorly in Ontario, and we are deeply worried that all the progress we’ve made to improve childcare is in reverse.
Daycares are leaving the affordable childcare program because governments are not providing childcares with enough money to cover their costs, and childcare centers are not allowed to raise fees on parents.
Many daycares cannot expand to meet the huge and growing demand because they don’t have enough money to recruit and keep trained staff to care for the babies, toddlers and children.
Affordable childcare is essential for so many parents, to children, to the workforce, and to our economy. Let’s fix it, not let it crumble.
Please sign our petition @ www.jessicabellmpp.ca/child_care_crisis_petition
We are calling for the government to fix the funding formula so childcare centers can meet parents’ need for high-quality and affordable childcare, and pay our childcare workers a fair wage so they can afford to live in our city.
We are also calling for the government to approve our local school boards request to build 3000 childcare spaces in local public schools so parents can have seamless care during the workday.