The development of the early years and child care sector in Ontario is at a critical time. While the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) plan has lowered fees for some families, many more families are waiting to access child care. Development of more child care spaces is hampered by a shortage of Early Childhood Educators and child care workers. Early years professionals have been underpaid for far too long and the development of a comprehensive child care workforce strategy and wage grid is essential to solving the child care workforce crisis and expanding access for families.
The Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care and the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario first called for an Early Years and Child Care Workforce Advisory Committee to guide the development of a child care workforce strategy and salary scale in our Roadmap to Universal Child Care in Ontario in 2021. We reiterated this call for action in our Position Paper on a Publicly Funded Salary Scale in 2023.
We are pleased to see Bill 191: Childcare and Early Years Workforce Strategy Advisory Committee Act, 2024 reach second reading and be debated. ECEs’ and child care workers’ voices must be central to the development of a workforce strategy. We must ensure that we put decent work at the heart of the new Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care system; a Childcare and Early Years Workforce Strategy Advisory Committee will help make that happen.
It is our hope that all MPPs vote in favour of Bill 191. The development of a universal child care system – with affordable fees, decent work, and enough spaces for all – is a goal that all parties can support.