Childcare Advocacy

Childcare Advocacy

Stronger Together: Advocating for Equitable Childcare

At our childcare centre in the heart of Toronto, we're feeling the strain of the province's growing childcare crisis on a daily basis.  Our story is not unique. Across Ontario, families are facing similar challenges, with many placed on long waitlists or forced to seek alternative, often less reliable, childcare options.  


Let's take action together! As parents and community members, we have the power to advocate for change. Reach out to government officials, share your stories, and demand an equitable funding model for childcare. Your voice matters, and together, we can create a brighter future for our children and communities.

A PROVINCE WIDE SOLUTION THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.


Ontario is currently grappling with a significant childcare crisis that is affecting families and communities across the province. The shortage of affordable and accessible childcare spaces has reached critical levels, with many parents struggling to find reliable care for their children. The situation has been exacerbated by a lack of trained daycare workers and the rising cost of childcare services. This has led to long waitlists, limited options for families, and increased pressure on parents, particularly women, who often bear the brunt of childcare responsibilities. The crisis is having far-reaching impacts, affecting not only individual families but also the province's economy and workforce. There is an urgent need for government intervention and innovative solutions to address the crisis and ensure that all families in Ontario have access to affordable, high-quality childcare.

Update on St. Alban's, Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Program System (CWELCC) and Staffing
January 15, 2024

We applied for CWELCC in 2022 to give families the fee respite as we continued to review the benefits and impacts of CWELCC on our financial viability, retention of quality child care staff, and our outstanding program quality that we and our community built over the last 30+ years. The CWELCC system is intended to support quality, accessible, affordable, and inclusive early learning in licensed child care settings serving children under the age of six.

Currently, we are continuing to realize the impacts of CWELCC funding on our financial viability as we, and other Child Care centres in Ontario are impacted with inflation. 

Staffing
We are having difficulty accessing staff (supply staff and full time).
When we require supply staff, we contact several companies that dispatch qualified staff to child care centres, and our own list of supply teachers.  
We prioritize sourcing qualified supply staff who are familiar with our centre and the specific room/children in question. Then, we look to any qualified staff who are ready to step in and provide care.
Unfortunately, we've been experiencing a growing challenge in securing staff, particularly RECEs, who are in high demand. This shortage has sometimes required us to piece together a complex staffing schedule to ensure adequate coverage throughout the day. 

Why has this happened? 
A multitude of reasons…. All of which has resulted in an RECE/child care staff shortage.

What does this mean?  
It means that if we are not able to staff a classroom adequately (with enough RECE’s)– we may have to close the room for the day or close it early.
We may need to shuffle staff around to make rooms work (ie. move RECE’s from one room to another so the room can operate).
If anything happens to change  access to the program – we will give parents as much notice as possible.

Key challenge

The current formula for child care funding is out of step with the increasing expenses faced by child care centers, including St. Alban's. As a result, centers are experiencing mounting financial pressure.

Originally designed as a revenue replacement program, CWELCC was intended to guarantee that child care centers would not lose revenue by participating. However, operating costs have risen (e.g., food, heating, staffing), and centres cannot raise parent fees while remaining in the program. This disparity has resulted in a funding gap, threatening the ability of child care centres to provide quality care within the CWELCC framework.


How you can help

Call or write a letter to elected officials. Let them know the issue is important to voters.

Here are some tips for drafting an effective letter:

  1. Make it personal: Share your own experiences and how they relate to the topic.
  2. Keep it concise: Focus on two to three key points to clearly express your perspective.
  3. Use your own words: While form letters can be convenient, expressing your thoughts in your own words can make your letter stand out and feel more genuine.



Who to contact

Three relevant levels of government are at the table. The Federal and Provincial governments provide the funding and the program is administered by the City of Toronto.

Jenna Sudds,
Federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

edsc.min.feds-fcsd.min.esdc@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

613-992-1119

CC your MP.  If you live near St. Alban's, your MP is likely Chrystia Freeland.   (chrystia.freeland@parl.gc.ca)


Todd Smith,

Minister of Education

minister.edu@ontario.ca

416-325-2600

CC his Chief of Staff Blair Hains (blair.hains@ontario.ca) and your MPP. 
If you live near St. Alban's, your MPP is likely Jessica Bell, (jbell-qp@ndp.on.ca)


Dianne Saxe

Toronto City Councillor, Ward 11

Councillor_Saxe@toronto.ca
416-392-4009

Example Letter

Use your own words, but here is an example of a persuasive letter to get you started.

Subject: Parent Concerned About Losing Their Childcare Spot

Minister Sudds,
My name is Meredith Grey and I am the parent of Zola (photo below). She attends BGC St. Alban's Club preschool, an incredible child care facility near our house that is a participant in CWELCC.

CWELCC has been hugely impactful for our family and unless the funding model is revised to reflect changing costs, we might lose it.

With rising costs, St Alban's is unable to provide the quality of care Zola is used to under the current model. If nothing is changed, we will face service disruption due to funding shortfalls that will my partner and me unable to work.
I am eager to discuss this further and am open to contributing to any discussions or consultations on this matter. I look forward to your response.

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