Funding Pressures Could Cause the Collapse of Early Learning and Child Care System:  A perfect storm of funding pressures threatens child care programs.

We face huge challenges this year – including potential cuts to early learning and child care programs in the Ontario Budget (expected in late March)

In 2006, the Provincial Government got a one time payment from the Federal Government. Over the past four years, the McGuinty government has added this money – $63.5 million – to our core child care budget.

That one time payment runs out this year. We sounded the alarm last year and on May 12 2009 Minister Deb Matthews came to the OCBCC lobby at Queen's Park and announced $18 million dollars in "bridge funding".

This year, we need the Provincial Government to commit to continuing that funding. If not, early learning and child care faces cuts that will cause our fragile system to collapse.

Cuts means municipalities will have less money for child care subsidies. Lack of subsidies means many centres will have vacant spaces. Vacant spaces means staff layoffs and higher parent fees – and child care closures.

This year the Province is running a significant deficit and this will be a challenging year to get money in the budget to maintain our existing levels of funding and subsidies.

We are committed to doing everything we can to ensure there is funding in the 2010 budget. Please participate in our budget campaign – additional materials available at www.childcareontario.org

Pre-Budget Press Release:
- Ontario child care cuts hit poor kids, results in 6,400 job losses
Report: Early Learning Impact, Analysis of Subsidy Removal
Report: OCBCC Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs

What's New:
February 16, 2010
ETFO President's Letter to Premier Dalton McGuinty

February 17, 2010
CAW President's Letter to Premier Dalton McGuinty

February 25, 2010
Open Letter to Premier McGunity from OFL

March 17,2010
Open letter to Premier about child care funding from OPSEU