The Ontario Legislature

Today NDP MPP Jagmeet Singh asked the Minister of Education Laurel Broten to end her silence and act now to stop the closure of twelve municipally run child care centres in Peel Region.

“Peel Regional Council will decide today whether to close its twelve municipally run child care centres,” said Singh. “Will Minister Broten stand up for the 760 children and their families who rely on these centres and work with Peel Region to keep these high quality centres open, or will she stand by silently as more Ontario parents see their children denied good quality child care?”

The threatened centres in Peel follow closures in Windsor,Welland and Kenora. Child care expert Martha Friendly is quoted as saying the McGuinty government has “no provincial plan, limited policy and too little public funding.”

“When will the Minister step up for families in Peel and across Ontario to stop the loss of Ontario’s best child care centres and to ensure that every family gets the affordable, good quality child care they need?” asked Singh.