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By Laurie Monsebraaten Social Justice Reporter Wed., May 9, 2018 Ontario leads the country in the growth of regulated child care with almost half of about 150,000 new spaces created between 2014 and 2016, according to the latest national snapshot of early childhood education and care in Canada. It brings the number of regulated child care spaces for kids under age 12 in Canada to about 1.4 million, enough to serve about 27 per cent of youngsters, said the report by the Childcare Resource and Research Unit released Wednesday. But coverage varies widely across the country from just over 8 per cent in Saskatchewan to 55 per cent in Quebec. Ontario has licensed spots for about 21 per cent of children up to age 12, according to the report. However Ontario has enough licensed spots in child care centres for more than 29 per cent of children under age 5. “The Ontario data reflects the province’s commitment to increase spaces before 2016 (when it announced … [Read more...] about Provinces leading on child care as federal cash begins to flow
Child care centres
Parents blast Toronto auditor’s questioning of city-run child care centres
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By Laurie Monsebraaten Social Justice Reporter Mon., May 7, 2018 Parents, councillors and early childhood educators say they will fight the city auditor general’s recommendation that Toronto consider handing over its 52 child care centres to non-profit operators. Mayor John Tory, who is facing re-election in October, also appears reluctant to endorse the idea. “I’m less interested in having a debate right now about transferring child care centres anywhere,” he said in an interview Monday. The proposal is among 20 recommendations to improve efficiency in Toronto children’s services to be discussed by the city’s audit committee Friday. If the city stopped operating child care centres, an extra $28 million would be available to create 2,000 new fee subsidies or boost wages by $2.30 an hour for workers in the rest of the system, says Auditor General Beverly Romeo-Beehler. Article Continued Below “Using non-profit … [Read more...] about Parents blast Toronto auditor’s questioning of city-run child care centres
NDP vows to ‘do better’ on child care than free preschool care
By Laurie Monsebraaten Social Justice Reporter Mon., April 2, 2018 Ontario’s NDP would “do better” than the Liberal government’s plan to offer free child care for preschoolers starting in 2020, Andrea Horwath says. “I think we can actually do better,” the NDP leader told a gathering Monday of more than 2,000 child-care workers employed by the YMCA of Greater Toronto, the province’s largest child-care operator. “We simply must make child care affordable for every family in Ontario. Not just for the parents of children of certain ages, but for the parents of every age,” Horwath said. Infant and toddler care is the most expensive and must be addressed for women to have a “real choice” to return to work after having a baby, she said, adding details will be released in the NDP platform. If she wins the June 7 provincial election, Horwath said she would also ensure all public child-care funding … [Read more...] about NDP vows to ‘do better’ on child care than free preschool care
Ontario budget to fund free child care for preschoolers as part of $2.2B plan
By Laurie Monsebraaten Social Justice Reporter Kristin Rushowy Queen's Park Bureau Tues., March 27, 2018 Premier Kathleen Wynne has unveiled free child care for preschoolers in a $2.2 billion budget boost that is the cornerstone of the Liberals’ spring re-election platform. Wynne announced the move — which covers licensed spots for children from age 2-1/2 until they start kindergarten — on Tuesday, just prior to her government’s budget being tabled at Queen’s Park Wednesday. “The job of a parent has become harder in the current economy,” Wynne told parents at Nelson Mandela Park Public School in Regent Park about the plan, which will begin in 2020. “So families need this kind of support and insurance more than ever and we need to deliver it.” Hailed as a national first and a game-changer by advocates, the move could be short-lived as Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford indicated he would … [Read more...] about Ontario budget to fund free child care for preschoolers as part of $2.2B plan
Child care all but forgotten in Ottawa’s gender budget
By Laurie Monsebraaten Social Justice Reporter Sat., March 3, 2018 Child care was the elephant in the room when Ottawa unveiled its gender equity budget last week, parents and advocates say. “We are astounded Finance Minister Bill Morneau has chosen to ignore the solid evidence that lack of access to affordable child care is the biggest barrier to women’s equal participation in the paid labour force,” said Morna Ballantyne, of Child Care Now, a national advocacy organization pushing for a publicly funded, non-profit system. “Without universal child care, women’s equality will never become a reality in Canada,” she said. Toronto mother Sara Ehrhardt, who founded Toronto East Enders for Child Care out of frustration over the lack of licensed care and financially crippling parent fees in the city’s Riverdale, East York and Beaches communities, was equally shocked Morneau’s “Equality + Growth” budget … [Read more...] about Child care all but forgotten in Ottawa’s gender budget