Ontario child care centres warn they are at risk of closure without more provincial funding

With tens of thousands of families on waitlists, the demand for affordable child care has never been greater. However, child care centres in Ontario are warning they are at risk of closing with additional funding.

Advocates say the Ford government is hoarding taxpayer dollars that could be used to keep daycares open.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce said every dollar committed for childcare is being spent on child care. “That’s part of the federal agreement, there’s no way around that,” said Lecce.

“We don’t know why the Ontario government is being so reluctant to properly invest in childcare centres so they can cover their costs,” said NDP MPP for University-Rosedale, Jessica Bell

A group of parents, politicians, child care operators and school board trustees held a press conference Friday, on International Women’s Day, to demand the government stop stalling on child care funding and create more spaces to meet the urgent needs of families.

“That burden falls back on the woman. I’m due to go back to work in September. If there is not a secure childcare space for my youngest, who is joining in September, that puts our family in a pickle,” said one mother.

“We are determined to build affordable child care but we share the concern of childcare operators since the day we signed the seal with the federal government, which is that we need more flexibility in funding in order to support our operators,” said Lecce.

The Ontario government spent $146 million less than planned in child care programs this quarter, according to a new report from the province’s financial watchdog.

When asked about this underspending, Lecce said, “We’re moving some of those dollars year-over-year to where they’re needed, remember, we started low, like a hockey stick, we’re now scaling up.” 

It comes as child care centres are feeling the pinch of the federal $10 a day program.

“We are currently operating at a deficit and we can’t keep doing that … it’s not viable,” said Karen Grant, the preschool manager at St. Alban’s Boys and Girls Club Preschool.

St Alban’s, which is in The Annex, is calling on the province to fix the funding formula so their costs are covered. 

The decades-old daycare is also facing substantial staffing shortages and is considering closing one of their room. They’ve had an early childhood educator job posting up for four weeks and haven’t been able to fill it. 

“We’ve had more staff resign in the past year than we’ve lost in the past 25 years because our excellent caring staff can’t afford to rent or own a home in Toronto at the wages we have to pay,” added Grant.

The Ontario NDP are also calling on the government to approve local school board requests to expand the number of child care centres in schools. 

“The Ontario government refuses to accept that very practical proposal,” said Bell.

“The NDP is standing advocating for the province to use the slowest method to build childcare. In Toronto, in those school boards, they’ve been sitting on child care projects for upwards of seven to eight years. Some of them are 300 per cent over budget and not one of them has a shovel in the ground,” answered Lecce.

The Ford government will deliver its budget March 26. Advocates and opposition members urging them to make substantial investments in health care, housing and child care when they do.