“With two months left of school in my Early Childhood Education Diploma, my future became very uncertain. The COVID pandemic completely uprooted everything I thought I knew about childcare. As I physically distanced at home and completed school online, I listened with fear to stories of outbreaks in emergency childcare and I wondered if I would ever feel safe enough to begin working in a career I love.
Now that childcare has reopened in Ontario, I am filled with fear and uncertainty. Between decreased funding, lack of jobs, and the fear of getting sick, it feels like the sector has been left behind by the provincial and federal government.”
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Rachel is not alone in her worry for the future. We know that many are concerned about the future of the early childhood education sector. Yet, we have an opportunity – we need Ontario to be part of a national child care plan that delivers decent work and compensation for educators and affordable child care for families.
Share your story. Sign the petition. Rise up for child care. https://www.childcareontario.org/risingup