Our recommendations:

• Immediately sign on to the federal child care plan. If Ontario fails to sign before March 31st we risk losing the first year of funding - over $1 Billion in federal funds.
• Adopt and implement the child care community’s Roadmap to Universal Child Care in Ontario, which sets out our vision and a shared path forward for Ontario child care.
• Invest an initial $375 million to develop and implement a province-wide Wage Grid for RECEs and child care staff/providers. A $25 minimum wage is required to immediately protect and respect the early childhood workforce and address recruitment and retention issues.
• Immediately reverse the 5% administrative funding cut to child care.
• Increase general operating funding by $500 million to stabilize the child care sector.
• Reverse cuts to the education budget and allocate funding to lower class sizes, increase wages, ensure paid preparation time and collaborative planning time for the Kindergarten Team, and ensure a healthy and safe work environment.
• Fund 7 permanent paid sick days and additional 14 paid sick days during public health.

Click HERE to read our full submission.