Ontario child care advocates tell Ford government to show their appreciation of child care workers and educators

Ontario child care advocates celebrated the province’s 21st annual Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day on October 21, 2021. As the pandemic continues, those working in child care continue to carry out their essential work despite the risks and deplorable wages in the sector. This year, child care advocates used the day to say “no” to the ongoing struggle to provide high quality early learning and child care to all who want it, and “yes” to universal child care in Ontario.

Advocates called on the Doug Ford government to sign a child care and early years agreement with the federal government.

• A virtual rally was organized.
• MPPs raised questions in the provincial legislature about the Ontario government’s apparent refusal to accept the federal government’s offer of $10.2 billion to bring down parent fees, expand regulated child care in the province, and raise the wages of those who work in the sector

More than 3,400 people signed the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care’s petition to Premier Ford and Minister of Education Lecce