Child care – keep it safe, keep it sustainable

The Ontario government has announced a funding plan to re-open child care centres, but it falls far short of what is needed. There’s no new money from the province to pay for the extra staffing and supplies that child care will require to be ready for re-opening.

Ignoring staffing needs puts high-quality child care at risk in Ontario. Please sign the letter below to Minister of Education Stephen Lecce that you support funding for staffing in Ontario’s child care centres.

Dear Minister Lecce:

As your government rolls out its plans to get Ontario working again, please make sure that child care workers are at the top of the list for investment.

Your announcement on May 9 didn’t promise any new funding for child care, meaning that Ontario will lose both scarce child care spaces and skilled child care workers – just when we need them most.

As a matter of urgency, we want to see

• additional funds for child care centres to ensure their viability
• a province-wide starting rate of $25 per hour for all staff working in child care centres in Ontario;
• all staff working in Ontario child care centres eligible for the $4 per hour pandemic pay
• funding for the supplies that new health and safety measures will require, including PPE to protect children and workers

Child care is vital to reviving our communities, but we can only realize all its benefits if child care workers are recognized, valued and paid according to their worth.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Your Email