For Immediate Release. June 20, 2023
On the heels of the passage of Canada’s national child care legislation Monday, child care advocates in Ontario are calling attention to the challenges facing Canada’s road to $10-a-day child care.
On Tuesday June 20, 2023 communities around Ontario are holding a Worth More Day of Action to bring attention to the need to improve access to the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care system by solving the child care workforce shortage with decent work and pay.
“We’ve promised families affordability, but that means little if they can’t access a space at all. Right now child care programs are limiting their enrolment because they cannot staff,” said Carolyn Ferns, of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care.
Organizers of the Worth More Day of Action will be making child care visible in their communities, from public rallies and marches to actions at local child care centres. Events are being organized in communities across Ontario including London, Ottawa, Peterborough,Toronto, Sudbury, and Wawa.
As part of the day, the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care has launched two new petitions: one for families on waitlists and one for families lucky to have a space. Both call on the federal and provincial governments to work together to expand access to child care by solving the workforce crisis and funding more spaces.
“To solve the workforce crisis, we need a real workforce strategy including a salary scale starting at $30 per hour for Registered Early Childhood Educators and $25 per hour for non-RECE staff,” said Alana Powell of the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario.
The AECEO and OCBCC have also called for a child care workforce strategy to include: benefits and pensions; paid sick days; professional development time; and paid programming time.
“ECEs and child care workers are worth more. Families on waitlists are worth more. Families needing subsidy are worth more. We need our governments working together to ensure we meet the promise of $10-a-day child care for all.”
Media Contacts:
- Carolyn Ferns, Policy Coordinator, Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, 647-218-1275, carolyn@childcareontario.org
- Alana Powell, Executive Director, Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario, 613-898-9248, apowell@aeceo.ca
LOCAL DAY OF ACTION PUBLIC EVENTS
LONDON
What: Worth More Day event with families
When: Tuesday, June 20th at 5pm-6pm!
Where: Wortley Village on The Green, 165 Elmwood Road, London, ON
Local contact: Jessica Phillips, Early Years Advocates London, 519-452-4430 x 2055
PETERBOROUGH
What: Dots for Spots Rally in the Park
When: Tuesday June 20th, 2023, 5pm-7pm
Where: Beavermead Park, 2011 Ashburnham Dr, Peterborough, ON K9L 1P8
Local contact: Sheila Olan Maclean, co-CEO, Compass Early Learning and Care: 705-927-7336.
SUDBURY
What: Pick-up, Cool-Down, Speak-Out event with families
When: Tuesday, June 20th, 2023, 4pm-5:30pm
Where: Discovery Early Learning & Care, 2603 Falconbridge Road, Garson, ON
Local contact: Tracy Saarikoski, Executive Director, Discovery Early Learning & Care: 705 690 3684.
TORONTO
What: Pick-Up, Cool-Down, Speak-Out event with families
When: Tuesday, June 20th, 2023, 4pm-6pm
Where: The Neighbourhood Group Bellevue Child Care Centre, 91 Bellevue Ave., Toronto
Local contact: Carolyn Ferns, Policy Coordinator, Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, 647-218-1275
2023 Ontario pre-budget submission
Carolyn Ferns
posted by CAROLYN FERNS | 736.20sc
February 21, 2023
The OCBCC provided our pre-budget submission to the Ministry of Finance and the Standing Committee on Finance.
Read our budget submission in PDF Pre-Budget Brief February 2023
Watch our presentation to the Standing Committee on Finance
https://youtu.be/Rk18vvqMXyU
In just one year Ontario’s commitment to $10-a-day child care under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) plan is already making life more affordable many Ontario families. It’s a game changer. In 2023 child care fees have been cut in half for hundreds of thousands of families using licensed child care. But to reach more families and ensure quality programs for children Ontario must respond to the workforce shortage in child care with provincial investments in a workforce strategy and salary scale.
ONTARIO 2023 BUDGET PRIORITIES
Invest an initial $300 million to develop and implement a province-wide salary scale in early learning and child care starting at $25 per hour for all staff and $30 per hour for Registered Early Childhood Educators. A salary scale and decent work standards will reverse the child care workforce retention crisis and ensure enough qualified educators to better meet the anticipated demand for $10-a-day child care.
Immediately increase the Provincial Child Care Allocation by at least $240 million to keep pace with inflation. Since 2018 provincial child care allocations to municipalities has been flatlined at $1.67 Billion. An increase to the Provincial Allocation to a total of $1.92 Billion will begin to meet increased costs that child care programs are experiencing. A publicly accountable advisory commission should inform a funding formula and expansion plan. Child care funding guidelines should be implemented that require a budget submission and approval process to cover programs’ reasonable costs.
Adopt and implement the child care community’s Roadmap to Universal Child Care in Ontario, which sets out our vision and a shared path forward for Ontario child care.