Election Time Is Coming

If you have posting room on your fridge here is another reminder why you shouldn't be voting to re-elect McGinty and his minions.

It's not too late to keep child-care promise
March 14, 2007
Elizabeth Ablett

With a provincial budget merely a few days away, a deafening silence emanates from Queen's Park as far as the future of early learning and child care in Ontario is concerned. Since Dalton McGuinty sees himself as the "education premier," this silence is surprising.

It is hard to imagine that McGuinty, someone who by all accounts understands the importance of the early years in a child's development, would have nothing to say on this foundational social program in the last budget of his first term.

So given the absence of any mention by any Ontario representative regarding child care in the past year, the element of surprise must be the game plan for the upcoming budget.

The storyline certainly points in that direction. Four years ago, the soon-to-be premier had quite a bit to say about early learning and child care. As Liberal party leader, he declared his commitment to the children and families of this province by proposing what would become the Best Start Plan.

He talked to parents, child-care workers and advocates about his plans for a universal, regulated child-care system.

He highlighted affordability, accessibility and quality of child care as key first steps in achieving his child-care vision.

And he and his party promised $300 million in new provincial funds for child care, to make this all happen. But three budgets later, both money and political will are still waiting.

To be fair, some advances have been made as Best Start has unfolded: 14,000 new child-care spaces, local networks to help Best Start establish in communities across the province, and wraparound care for 4- and 5-year-olds. But all of this without a single new provincial dollar in more than 10 years. How is this possible?

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