Over 40 years, generations of children and their parents have benefited from the quality, high level care provided at Junior Citizens Daycare, Sudbury’s only public child care centre.

But with little discussion with the Greater Sudbury community or the families that rely on the service, on Monday, January 21, Greater Sudbury’s Community Service Committee will be voting to close Junior Citizens.

One of just a few francophone child care programs, Junior Citizens is the only centre that provides late evening care for parents working the night shift and quality supports for families with special needs children. » Continue reading “Greater Sudbury’s Community Service Committee avoids closure of Sudbury’s only public child care centre”

In December, the province announced a new funding formula for child care.  While a positive step forward, the new formula will not mean more child care spaces. New funding will be used to stabilize existing child care programs while the funding formula will guide how child care funding is allocated by the Province in the future.

According to Jane Soldera of the City of Hamilton:

“Hamilton’s child-care system faces many pressures that are consistent across the province: a wait list for fee subsidies, wage subsidies, the need to increase per diems for child-care operators and increased support for children with special needs.

Targeting these pressure areas will help support quality across the whole child-care system, Soldera said. » Continue reading “Hamilton Spectator: New Funding Formula for Child Care”

We should always take the time to recognize the people and organizations who make a difference in our communities. At a time when governments have downloaded their responsibilities and duties, these individuals and non-profits have chosen to stand up for their neighbourhoods. In doing so, they have ensured that services and resources remain available for those in greatest need. On December 1st, Rosario Marchese hosted a Community Appreciation Event to celebrate and recognize the efforts of these remarkable people.

The Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care was honoured to nominate Trinity-Spadina resident and OCBCC volunteer Kathy Le for her tireless work in the community and contagious enthusiasm for child care advocacy.

For more photos from the event, click here.

The OCBCC along with CUPE and the Ryerson School of Early Childhood Studies, brought Sharon Gregson from British Columbia to hear about their amazing campaign that has built so much momentum and excitement for change in BC.

British Columbia and Ontario are a lot alike. We both have a huge shortage of child care, and the child care we do have is too expensive for most families. Like in Ontario, in BC many families are forced to consider unlicensed child care, even though that may not be their first choice for care.

BC’s current provincial government is a right-wing government with no interest in improving child care to ensure it is available, affordable and high quality – for every family who needs it.

In BC, advocates developed a plan for $10 a day child care. While the current government does not support the plan, advocates are gaining huge support, networking and increasing public expectations for what is possible. More than 6000 individuals and organizations have endorsed the plan for child care. That shows a lot of community education, broad-based support and momentum for positive change for child care in BC. » Continue reading “Reflections from our Skills Training & Mobilization Workshop”

New grassroots campaign for affordable, high quality, publicly funded child care in Ontario!

Over the past year, the OCBCC was successful in high-level lobbing and a coordinated campaign with large child care providers to secure stabilization funding. Parent and community pressure enabled us to secure stabilization funding for the sector. But three years of one-time funding will only keep our costly and fragmented child care system from complete failure – it will not result in universal, affordable child care.

Over the next two years, our political reality may change in Ontario. But what will not change is the fundamental need for more affordable child care for Ontario families.

We need a long-term campaign will in turn put pressure on all political parties to support an investment in high quality, affordable, public and not-for-profit system in Ontario for all children from infants to 12 years. » Continue reading “Child Care is the Solution, Not the Problem”

Help us in developing our grassroots campaign by sharing how you obtain information & communicate with others. Just 15 questions – it’ll only take a minute or two!

Appreciation night comes as many child care programs reach gold level standing in local child care initiative

When it comes to providing childcare, Peterborough sets the bar high.

With a large portion of child care operators in the city and county achieving top community standards though a local child care initiative this year, an appreciation night is hoped to recognize and honour those who strive to provide the best care possible. » Continue reading “Peterborough child care programs “Raising the Bar””

An interesting article published on November 10th,2012 in the National Post correctly identifies the crisis in Ontario’s child care system but emphasizes short-term rather than long-term solutions.  » Continue reading “National Post – What the city’s childcare needs is some good old-fashion promotion”

Annual Report 2012

On site daycare at the workplace are becoming more rare. The Globe and Mail highlights a successful case study of a child care facility within a workplace. Read article here. It goes on to explain the scarcity of workplace child care programs and the difficulty of finding quality child care close to your workplace.