QUEEN’S PARK — Mike Schreiner released the following statement after the province announced its plan for reopening child care centres:
“Access to safe, affordable child care is essential to reopening our economy and communities.
That is why I’m disappointed that the Ford government is not providing additional funding to child care operators to help them meet physical distancing and public health guidelines.
The stringent protocols announced are necessary to keep kids safe, but it is totally unreasonable to pin the burden on non-profit childcare centres alone without boosting their resources.
The sector has been hurting for months, and we are facing a serious child care access and affordability problem if the province does not step in to increase their budgets.
I have supported the call for a $680 million stabilization fund to shore up the work of Ontario’s 58,000 non-profits who provide everything from child care to mental health services to emergency food delivery.
For our communities to remain strong and continue providing grassroots services to marginalized groups, the province needs to give them a lifeline.”