2010 Ontario Budget Press Release
Toronto – Parents, early childhood educators and child care supporters credit the Liberal government for stepping up and maintaining current budgets for early learning and child care.
“Affordable child care is crucial for a 21st century economy. We will continue to call on the Federal government to fund essential early learning and child care programs to benefit children and their families” said Tracy Saarikoski, President, Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care and member of the Early Years Implementation Advisory Committee.
Today’s investment by the Ontario government avoids cuts early learning and child care that would have crippled our child care programs and led to cuts to thousands of subsidized child care spaces.
Maintaining funding for early learning and child care is an important component of Ontario’s commitment to full-day learning and poverty reduction.
“With today’s announcement, we are looking forward to working with the Premier’s office to ensure the promised transitional funding for the early learning and child care sector with regard to full-day learning creates a program that benefits all children and families”, said Saarikoski.
The campaign to sustain funding for early learning and child care involved communities across the Province. More than 11,000 parents and early learning, child care staff signed petitions to the Ontario Legislature. We credit the efforts of our partner organizations such as Campaign 2000, 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction, June Callwood Campaign Against Child Poverty and our partners in the labour movement including CUPE, OSSTF, ETFO, OECTA and the Ontario Federation of Labour in ensuring early learning and child care was a key issue in the Ontario budget.
“Child care is good for kids, good for families and good for the economy. Sustaining child care funding is an essential step to helping parents like me be able to go to school and build a career” said Theresa Schrader, parent.
For more information, please contact:
Andrea Calver, Coordinator, OCBCC office 416-538-0628 x 4, cell 416-434-8031 (Budget time: at Queen’s Park)
Theresa Schrader, parent, cell 647-400-0472 (Budget time: at Community Budget Watch, City Hall Members Lounge)