Download a copy of this petition here.
To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:
WHEREAS the child care sector is chronically underfunded, provincial child care allocations are lower today than they were in 2018, and the 2024 Ontario Budget ignored calls from the child care sector for greater provincial operating funding to child care, including funding to increase wages and provincial capital funding to expand spaces;
WHEREAS there is a growing disparity between demand and availability of child care spaces, particularly in underserved areas referred to as “child care deserts”;
WHEREAS families in Waterloo Region are being told there are currently over 9000 children on the waitlist for child care locally and across Ontario, families find themselves trapped on waitlists, hoping for access to affordable child care that seems increasingly out of reach;
WHEREAS child care providers are struggling to continue operating as part of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care plan (CWELCC) program due to increased operating costs and a lack of information on the 2024 provincial funding guidelines for CWELCC, which will impact providers’ operations and limits their ability to plan ahead;
Therefore, we the undersigned petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to:
- Provide immediate and adequate operating funding to childcare centres to cover their costs and fund wage increases to keep and recruit staff; and
- Establish a robust capital funding program to facilitate the expansion of non-profit and public child care facilities to meet the need for high quality childcare.