Toronto Star, February 26, 2010, for the full article, please click here.

“Toronto parents Sarah Fittings and Mykola Jemetz struggle to pay annual daycare fees of more than $30,000 for their 5-year-old daughter and 3-year-old twin boys.

So a city budget proposal that advocates say would add as much as $80 per child per month for parents in Toronto’s 373 school-based child-care centres is a shock. » Continue reading “Toronto Star: Fee Shocker – Proposed daycare hike ‘infuriating’ for parents”

In an effort to erase the city’s $433 million structural deficit, Toronto’s children’s services department is recommending city council cancel a 12-year agreement with area school boards that covers rent for school-based child-care centres and family resource centres. The agreement costs the city $5.8 million annually

“To destabilize the school-based child care now, before the province is able to implement its full vision is so short-sighted. We don’t want the system to die on the operating table. We’re going to need everybody to pull together, the fees, the province and the city to make this happen,”  said Jane Mercer of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care.

Since Toronto would still have to pay rent for subsidized spaces and family resource centres, the net savings would be about $3.2 million by 2011, according to budget documents. Also It would impact more than half of the 652 child care centres the city funds through subsidy and wage agreements.

To read the full article, please click here

The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) add our voice to those parents and child care advocates across Ontario in calling on Premier McGuinty, and Finiance Minister Dwight Duncan to:

- Ensure $63.5 million in child care funding is on-going
- Ensure that Provincial government provides sufficient funding to maintain existing levels of service, and recognize the cost of living and other legitimate increases in operating costs;
- Provide all necessary tools to support the transition to an Early Learning Program and ensure the child care system remains table and sustainable.

To view the open letter, please click here

The latest:
Deputations took place on March 1 and 2nd with the issue of rent charges for school based child care programs as one of the four top concerns!

March 2:
- Toronto Star: Scrap daycare hike, city told
- CityTV: Video on Cost of Child Care Increasing in Toronto

March 1:
- Toronto Star Editorial: Politicians drop the daycare ball

Feb 26:
- Toronto Star: Fee Shocker – Proposed daycare hike ‘infuriating’ for parents
- Toronto Star: School daycare face rent hike

Feb 24:
- TCBCC Advocacy Alert, please click here.

 PARENTS: Call for ACTION:

 CITY BUDGET will see PARENT CHILD CARE FEES SKYROCKET! » Continue reading “Toronto – School Child Care Rent Agreement – Advocacy Alert!”

“ The City of Toronto estimates shrinking resources for child care will mean de-funding 5,000 spaces. Another 3,000 spaces will disappear from other regions.  Feeling the financial heat, Windsor city council just voted to shut down nine municipal child care centres.”

“The Windsor situation could have been avoided. The government has calculated $119 million in staff funding will be saved in child-care centres as four-and five-year-olds move into full-day school-operated programs.The premier should advance these funds to stabilize affected child-care programs for younger children before more municipalities follow Windsor’s path.”

To read the full article, please click here

“The loss in funding combined with the loss in revenue with phase one of the full day kindergarten is a huge crisis because four and five-year-olds are our oldest kids. The ratio [of the older children] is higher, so there is more revenue being generated by them, and you use that to offset costs,” says Debbie Milne, executive director at First Adventure Development Centre, in Belleville.

According to the OCBCC, many child centres will close or become extremely vulnerable, since parents may not be able to afford childcare fees without subsidy. Also funding cuts would mean a direct loss of employment in child care of 1,862 jobs in Ontario.

To read the full article, please click here

Education Minister Leona Dombrowsky announced the education amendments for the full day learning, and beyond. 

“School boards also will be able to offer before- and after-school programs for older children, 6 to 12. As well, boards have the power to offer programs throughout the year for children 4 to 12, including on professional development days, school breaks and summer holidays.”

To read full article, click here.

A letter from Michael Ignatieff to Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada (CCAAC) and Campaign 2000 as his response to our earlier open letter on University Child Care Benefit (UCCB).

Please click here to view the response