Lack of Child Care Funding hurts Ontario’s Economic Recovery: Parents to Face Higher Child Care Costs

Viable early learning and child care programs are key for working parents to participate in the workforce. In the absence of stabilization funding in Ontario’s 2011 budget released today, child care advocates warn of a rising parent fees, cuts in services and closures as a result of years of underfunding, combined with financial pressures from Ontario’s full-day kindergarten program.

Viable early learning and child care programs are key for working parents to participate in the workforce. In the absence of stabilization funding in Ontario’s 2011 budget released today, child care advocates warn of a rising parent fees, cuts in services and closures as a result of years of underfunding, combined with financial pressures from Ontario’s full-day kindergarten program.

“My child will be starting in child care in September and our family will be paying $60 per day, or $15,000 per year for child care. We want a high quality program, but my husband and I question whether we could ever afford to have a second child. There is a limit to how much a young family can afford to pay for child care. Funding for more affordable child care means more parents can work” said Carey Lynn Asselstine, parent, at Queen’s Park.

“Our existing system of child care is falling apart. We have reached the breaking point of what parents can afford to pay. Investments in child care are a critical part of plan for economic recovery. Ontario can’t work without child care. As the Ontario Government funds full-day kindergarten programs in schools, the government needs to ensure that child care programs will still be there for families. Without more funding, I fear that rising fees and low wages will mean our child care programs will close” said Tracy Saarikoski, President, Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care.

 

To read the full press release, please click here.