Child care centres across the province shutting their doors: NDP’s Catherine Fife

NDP MPP for Kitchener-Waterloo Catherine Fife called on Premier Wynne during Question Period today to account for the closures of child care centres across the province. Fife also asked why the Premier has back-pedalled on her commitment to $15 a day child care.

“My question is to the Premier. This Premier’s record on child care just keeps getting worse, and families across Ontario are paying the price,” Fife said. “Ontario has no comprehensive plan for child care: no targets, no timelines. Most recently, the Premier backtracked on her support for $15 a day child care.”

Closures of public child care centres have affected communities straight across Ontario. 12 centres have closed in the Peel region alone, and five centres in Waterloo may soon be forced to shut their doors as well. The loss of public child care centres affects the quality of care and results in the loss of much-needed jobs in communities across Ontario.   

“The Premier has stood on the sidelines while public child care centres close their doors in communities like Sarnia, Sudbury, Windsor, London.  Peel region closed their 12 regional centres as well. Now, five public child care centres are at risk of closure in Waterloo region. Each of these five child care centres has attained the triple gold standard of the Raising the Bar program for the last 12 years. They served 250 children and their families. Every time we lose a public child care centre, we lose quality care for kids in this province and good jobs in our communities” 

“Why is this Premier doing nothing to stop the closure of quality child care centres and doing nothing to stand up for child care that Ontario families so desperately need?” asked Fife.