Some GTA private daycare centres to protest at Queen’s Park

Some private daycare operators in the GTA have closed their doors Tuesday as dozens gather at Queen’s Park to protest the new funding formula for the $10-a-day childcare program.

A rally started at Queen’s Park around 9:30 a.m., and several daycares across Toronto are participating.

The protest involves dozens of private daycare operators who are currently participating in the national program and are concerned about the upcoming funding changes in Ontario.

The program has cut costs for parents in half, but operators say the changes planned by the Ford government will limit funding, which could force some to go out of business.

Jacky Sheppard with the Private Operators Group (POG) said the federal funding formula would change in January from revenue replacement, meaning they were paid back some of the revenue loss associated with the cheaper daycare, to cost-based funding, with profits capped at eight per cent.

Sheppard told The Leader Spirit that an awareness campaign has been ongoing for the last two weeks, and they’ve offered options to daycare operators to participate, including potential closures.

The cost-based system could also mean scaling back enhanced learning and engagement programs, forcing some out of business. Some daycares would simply opt out of the national program, which would mean double or triple the fees that parents pay.

In Toronto, more than 1,000 licensed daycares have opted into the program, and 324 of those are commercial sites. Any centre that withdraws would see parent fees double or even triple.

Sheppard said they have heard from over 50 centres that they will withdraw from the program if nothing changes.

A Minister of Education spokesperson said in a statement that the new funding formula “is consistent across the province and funds operators based on the true costs of operating childcare.”

“For this national program to fully succeed, the federal government needs to provide more funding to support parents and operators.”

A rally is also being planned for Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday.