By MPP Bobbi Ann Brady
I’ve written about the crisis in Ontario’s homecare and healthcare systems, but there’s another storm brewing in the province, and this time, it affects young families.
The number of young families contacting me who cannot find childcare for their babies and toddlers is unprecedented. The waitlists are very long and complicated regarding how spaces are filled. The crux of the matter is that Ontario needs to catch up regarding wages in the childcare sector.
While Ontario continues to welcome more people and feverishly build homes, the demand for childcare spaces is increasing. The problem is that while demand increases, the province is experiencing a childcare workforce shortage, and therefore, many centres have had to severely limit the number of childcare spaces.
Like other Ontario crises, these didn’t occur overnight and certainly did not come as a surprise. In March 2022, Ontario secured a six-year $13.2-billion commitment from Ottawa, which will lower fees for eligible children to $10 per day by March 2026. At that time, the Financial Accountability Office warned an additional 300,000 childcare spaces would be required to uphold the $10 a day daycare program; however, the province’s target of 71,000 spaces by 2026 will fall significantly short, and by that time, about 25 per cent of children under six will be unable to access these funded spaces.
I know some local childcare centres expressed concern about the federal-provincial agreement and opted out as they could foresee problems. Before the resignation of Education Minister Todd Smith, he attempted to walk back the agreement that limits the expansion of for-profit childcare providers. Smith wanted the 30 percent to be lifted, but many in the field say that this government’s failure to expand non-profit and public childcare spaces has been a critical factor in the shortage being felt across the province. Further, it’s a violation of the Canada-wide agreement.
Childcare spaces weren’t going to organically appear as the current government believed. They had best leverage the recent federal funding of over $1 billion in reduced-interest loans and $625 million in capital grants to finally expand childcare. Since Ontario is the most populous province, it will receive the bulk of these funds, and our young families need these monies spent wisely.
We continually hear of labour shortages. I’m told people don’t want to work, but I don’t believe it. I had a young mom in my office last week. Luckily, her profession allows her to craft her schedule to stay home with her 18-month-old until her husband returns from work—that’s not feasible for most. Parents tell me they are desperate, and they are tired at a time in their life when they should be celebrating the milestones of their little ones.
Like other sectors, poor wages are a factor in the childcare workforce shortage. A tree cannot stand if its roots are rotten. Home care cannot work effectively if employees can find similar work for more money elsewhere. The same can be said for the childcare sector.
If Premier Ford wants people working, it’s time he takes seriously the need for parents to have safe, accessible childcare. It simply isn’t fair that young people are putting their careers on hold and struggling to pay bills on one income because the government has failed to plan appropriately.
Bobbi Ann Brady is the MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk