Following months of advocacy, child care funding cuts have been put on hold. We must double down on our campaigning to secure gains for next year.

File this under Advocacy Works! On Ontario Budget Day, April 11, 2019, child care was facing:

• A cut of $40 million in operating funding compared to the previous year;
• A cut of $80 million in total funding;
• No commitment to wage enhancement funding.

Thanks to tireless campaigning by members and allies like you, we succeeding in pushing back against these cuts. Today the province released revised funding details, and child care is receiving:

• +$2,928,624 increase in general operating funding compared to 2018;
• +$20,436,794 additional total child care funding compared to 2018;
• Continuation of the wage enhancement, including an increase in the wage cap to $27.47.

See full funding comparison table below.

This shows just how effective our coalition is. We have momentum, but our work is far from over!

Time to Double Down on our Campaigning

The Ford government has warned that cuts have only been put on hold until next year and that the government is “working on a new child care plan”.  They have already made troubling changes to safety regulations, opened up more funding to big box for-profits. This next year is critical.  

We need to meet these new challenges with our strongest campaign yet! Every MPP needs to hear exactly how important child care programs are to their local constituents and their local economies. Every cabinet minister needs to know that there is no room to cut when it comes to child care.

If you want to get involved in our local campaigning this summer email: [email protected]

If you can help us with the costs of printing tool kits and flyers, providing training sessions for volunteers, and doing outreach, please consider helping out with a donation. Even a few dollars makes a big difference!