The Ottawa Citizen

Mohammed Adam reports on the mounting concern over fee increases and possible closures of child-care centres across the province.
"Municipal politicians and child-care agencies are warning that fees will likely rise by about 30 per cent and many centres will shut down"

“We are worried about the destabilization of the child-care community because our subsidies are going to be siphoned off to the school boards from our kindergarten program,” said Diane O’Neill executive director of Aladin Childcare Services (and OCBCC member). “If I lose my subsidy dollars, I am in threat of being closed because I won’t be able to fill those spaces. The fees will be going up anywhere between 20 and 30 per cent.”

Similarly, Toronto Mayor David Miller wrote to Premier Dalton McGuinty to explain that 'transition funding' that will provide 78 additional subsidies and $184,800 for capital projects are insufficient for a system of "24,000 subsidies and a wait list of more than 16,000..."  He warns that:

"without adequate transitional resources, our staff estimates that fees for infant care will increase approximately 30 percent, from an average of $71/day to $92/day."

Diane Deans, chair of Ottawa's community and protective services committee, voices concern over the funding allocated to her municipality as well. She argues that the addition of 48 subsidized spaces and $111,000 for capital are not sufficient to manage the transition.

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