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TORONTO, Ont. CUPE Ontario today commends Dr. Charles Pascal on the release of his report, With Our Best Future in Mind, which points a way forward to the implementation of full-day learning for Ontario’s four- and five-year-old children.
We endorse Dr. Pascal’s recommendation to create a seamless, publicly-funded, not-for-profit learning system for Ontario’s four- and five-year-olds.
Dr. Pascal’s proposals are very much in line with what CUPE has advocatedA public, not-for-profit system of early learning and care that is delivered through a seamless day, through team teaching in the classroom in schools that function as community hubs, said CUPE Ontario President Sid Ryan. However, CUPE Ontario is concerned that reorganizing existing funding streams could have the unintended consequence of jeopardizing already-fragile funding systems for community-based child care, he added.
We call on the provincial government to provide a dedicated stream of new funding to pay for the Pascal Report’s recommendations, given the significant cost savings that will be realized through the provision of high-quality, all-day learning. Some studies have calculated that one dollar invested in early childhood education creates a future cost savings of $17. In essence, the investment made will more than pay for itself.
The provincial government must ensure that existing community-based child care programs are not disadvantaged or destabilized as four- and five-year-olds move into all-day learning. Adequate funding must be provided to guarantee the stability of these programs.
CUPE further urges the provincial government to fund a retraining program for experienced child care workers in order for them to attain the necessary certifications to operate within this new system.
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For more information, contact:
Sid Ryan CUPE Ontario President 416-209-0066
Kevin Wilson CUPE Communications 416-292-3999 x264 or 416-821-6641
