(March 23,2010 Front Page – Laurie Monserbraaten, Soical Justice Reporter)
Thursday’s provincial budget must replace lost federal subsidy, critics warn McGuinty.
The loss of $63.5 million in federal child care cash next month and the fall launch of all-day kindergarten for 4- and 5-year olds is creating the “perfect storm” in Ontario’s child care system, advocates warn.

If Queen’s Park doesn’t pick up the loss in Thursday’s budget, at least 7,600 child care subsidies will disappear, fees will rise and parents may not be able to work, they say.

“We are facing a catastrophic collapse of the child care system in this province, with the loss of those subsidies, centres will have to lay off staff, parent fees will have to rise and many programs will be forced close,” said Andrea Calver of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care.“

The federal money is part of $252 million in child-care funds Ontario received from Ottawa in 2006 when the Harper government cancelled a previous $5-billion national child care plan. Instead of spending all the money that year, Ontario spread it over four years to support about 7,600 new child-care subsidies. The last $63.5 million installment runs out April 1.

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Child care is one major issue that will be under the microscope in the provincial budget.

A handful of concerned parents and local CUPE leaders met outside Duncan’s office Tuesday, calling on him to include $63.5 million in daycare funding in hopes it will thwart plans to close nine city-operated daycares in Windsor and Essex County.

Duncan said the Liberal government plans to erase Ontario’s projected $24.7-billion deficit over a seven-year period while maintaining provincial projects and services.

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Andrea Horwath, MPP for Hamilton Centre and Leader of Ontario’s NDP, asked the following Question in the Ontario Legislature on March 22, 2010, regarding the McGuinty government’s responsibility for protecting and funding child care spaces in Ontario.

Please click here to download the transcript

Daycares across Toronto could close — forcing working parents out of jobs and into their homes — unless Premier Dalton McGuinty’s cash-strapped government replaces a $63.5-million federal funding cut.

“Premier McGuinty, the ball is in your court,” said Andrea Claver, of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care.

Without a restoration of the money, “we will see a catastrophic collapse” in the childcare system, Calver said.

The $63.5 million is the last installment of a childcare program started up by the federal government under former prime minister Paul Martin.

When the Conservatives were elected in 2006, one of their first moves was to cancel the program when its budgeted funding ran out, which will happen this year,

The money supports 7,600 daycare spaces in Toronto, Calver said.

» Continue reading “Toronto Sun: Parents plead for day care funding”

A group of parents are pushing strollers and towing toddlers to Queen’s Park to protest provincial government plans to end subsidies to child-care centres across the province.

Andrea Calver, of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, said dozens of children and their parents delivered giant beach balls to Premier Dalton McGuinty, their way of telling him that “the ball is in his court” when it comes to child care.

“If there isn’t $63.5 million in next week’s budget, we will see a catastrophic collapse of child care,” she told reporters Friday. “We’ll see vacant spaces, higher fees and the closure of some centres. That is the end result of a lack of funding in next week’s budget.”

The parents planned the rally to bolster their demands that the provincial Liberals maintain child-care funding in the coming budget, set for March 25.

In 2006, the McGuinty government took a one-time federal payment for child care and spread it over four years with $63.5 million in funding going to child-care services.

That money runs out this year and without it, the protesters say that Ontario’s entire child-care system could collapse.

» Continue reading “CTV News: Ontario parents rally for more child-care funding”

TORONTO – Dozens of children and parents rallied at the Ontario legislature Friday, March 19 2010  to demand the government maintain child-care funding in the upcoming budget.

The tots waved signs and threw inflatable beach balls in the air to send a message to Premier Dalton McGuinty that the ball is “in your court.”

Activists say one-time federal cash for child-care subsidies is running out after four years and the Ontario Liberals aren’t planning to replace it with provincial funds in the March 25 budget.

“If the province doesn’t come up with the $63.5 million a year in federal cash that’s been built into Ontario’s child-care budget over the last four years, the subsides will be cut back and about 7,600 kids will lose access to daycare. These cuts would radically destabilize the existing child-care system,” said Andrea Calver of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care.

“It’s not that there isn’t a need, it’s that people in the neighbourhood can’t afford the high cost of child care,” Calver said.

McGuinty promised that full-day learning would free up about 20,000 daycare spaces across the province, but that won’t happen, said NDP education critic Rosario Marchese.

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(March 19, 2010 – TORONTO) Children and parents who rely on quality child care programs were at  Queen’s Park today to call on the Premier not to cut child care investments in the up-coming provincial budget. At stake is $63.5 million for 7600 subsidies that help families access affordable child care in Ontario. » Continue reading “Press Release: “Premier the ball is in your court” Parents tell McGuinty not to cut child care”

Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPESU) send letter to Premier to urge your government to not cut $63.5 million in funding for subsidized child care spaces. The ripple effect of cutting this funding would be catastrophic for our fragile child care system. » Continue reading “OPSEU letter to Premier re child care funding”