Tuesday March 27th, was budget day in Ontario. For months we have worked together to sound the alarm about the pressures facing the child care sector and the need for funding to stabilize our programs.
Unfortunately, not only was there no funding to sustain child care programs, there was no mention of child care at all in the 2012 Provincial budget.
Now, more than ever, we need to take action to get the government to correct this oversight.
We have been here before. In 2009 child care was facing devastating cuts. There was no money allocated in the budget, but after hard work from the child care community the minister of education attended our lobby and announced $18 million in bridge funding to stabilize the sector. The 2010 budget included new permanent funding to maintain our child care system.
We can be successful again – but we need to keep up the pressure.
What we need to do:
- Continue to get people on to www.childcarematterstome.ca to send a message to their MPP, share stories and sign the petition.
- Continue to profile centres feeling the pressure on www.childcarenow.ca
The Liberals have a “minority” government. That means that the NDP can play a huge role in ensuring funding for child care.
We have been working with NDP Education Critic Peter Tabuns who has held two town hall meetings and asked several questions to the Minister.
We have been working with Leader Andrea Horwath, who came to Peel for a town hall meeting on child care.
They need to hear from you – saving child care is your priority in the provincial budget. Click here to let them know child care matters!
Don’t forget! Tweet, Facebook, and spread the word in your networks.
Child care matters to Ontario’s children, families, and communities.
It should matter to our government!
Learn more:
To read the Coalition’s press release, please click here.
For an article in the Toronto Star, please click here.
Thank you for all the work you’ve already done. We’ve heard some amazing stories about activities centres have done to raise awareness in their communities, and reading the profiles as they come in is inspiring. Let’s keep up the momentum!