Child Care Watch April 2008
Community Child Care Updates
June 2, 2008 OCBCC Queen’s Park Provincial Lobby
The Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care will join with the Ontario Federation of Labour to have meetings with all three party caucuses. We will invite the MPP’s from each party to meet with us and describe their vision for early learning and child care programs in Ontario. Come join us! See www.childcareontario.org
June 14, March and Rally to Focus on Funding and Child Care
On Saturday June 14, we will be in Whitby in the riding of Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to focus on funding for early learning and child care programs. We will be working in partnership with the Canadian Labour Congress – for more info email andrea@childcareontario.org. There are plans for buses from Windsor, London, Mississauga and Toronto. Additional cities may be added! Join us if you can!
Local Reports from around the Province
Sudbury:
Local advocate and Executive Director Tracy Saarikowki is lending her experience to Sault Ste. Marie. She was a speaker at the AECEO conference that brought together Early Childhood Educators across the North to spread a message that advocacy get results. Tracy will continue to work with advocates in Sault Ste. Marie – you can reach her at teddybear@onlink.net. Other news includes: City is moving to a central registry model for wait lists; Ministry tweaking course eligibility for training grant for non-ECE’s – asking how timing of courses could serve them better; and Sudbury now has Community Action Networks – CCAN is partnering with them and also has begun to work with the Social Planning Council.
Ottawa
In this year’s budget, City of Ottawa has capped subsidies at 90% of 2006 spending so centres are not able to take new subsidized children, we anticipate problems with next year’s budget as well; Ottawa Child Care Network is developing materials and planning a fall forum on the issue of Full Day Learning.
South East Rural
St. Lawrence College Child Care Centre is closing; Social Planning Council groups are joining and identifying child care as an issue; Ontario wide Children’s Mental Health Network doing community mapping including child care; No new child care centres have been opened in schools; Apprenticeship programs don’t qualify for the ECE upgrading funding
Peterborough
CCAN has doubled in size; New mayor, concerned about poverty; CCAN met with
the Conservative MP and the City Councillor who oversees social services; Good
turnout for It’s Time for Pubic Child Care Tour; City of Peterborough is
keeping money for a Best Start exit strategy if the province cuts Best Start
funding. The City can manage for 1 year if the province cuts out funding.
Do you want to develop a Child Care Action Network in
your community? Do you
want to get your community involved in building a quality child care system? You
can to so by forming a Child Care Action Network – contact Andrea: