Child care regulation changes threaten program quality

While Ontario’s Liberal government touts its commitment to child care program quality, changes they intend to make to regulations will – say early childhood education experts – threaten program quality, considerably.

Parents, child care activists and CUPE Ontario are opposed to these regulatory changes, which unfortunately can be made without any real public hearings or the agreement of MPPs in the Ontario Legislature.

This is why we are asking you join us in a simple on line action to tell the Minister of Education who has the ability to stop these changes that you don’t support what her government is doing to child care.

Before you do that, please take the time to read why we think these regulation changes should not go forward.

What’s the concern?

The province plans to dilute ratios by significantly changing the current children to adult (staff) ratio to allow more children and less staff. CUPE Ontario believes that what the Liberals are proposing, is not in the best interest of children.

Reducing the child to adult ratios,  many experts agree, not only threatens program quality, but creates the potential for health and safety risks for children and increased stress on ECEs and child care staff.

What’s more, none of the changes the government wants to make take into consideration a positive inclusive learning environment or the programming supports for children with special needs.

Read more about the province’s proposed changes to child care

Early in December 2013 the Ministry of Education introduced new legislation (Bill 143, the Child Care Modernization Act) to replace the Day Nurseries Act. Much of Bill 143 is focused on bringing additional oversight to unlicensed home daycares. The CUPE Ontario statement (Increased Ontario government oversight, regulation for unlicensed child care long-overdue) on Bill 143, which is not yet law can be found by clicking here.