Provincial cuts to child care services less than originally planned: Tory

Mayor John Tory says provincial cuts to child care services are going to less than originally planned, but adds more work still will need to be done.

The city was reportedly expected to lose around $15 million for child care services, but that number is now estimated to be between $2 and $5 million.

At the time, Toronto city staff has said provincial funding cuts to municipalities will put 760 affordable child-care spaces at risk in 2020. It’s unknown how many child care spaces will be lost with the new estimated numbers.

While Tory said the reduced cuts are good for the child care industry, more works needs to be done.

“It’s progress, but there’s more work to be done convincing all the governments that they should be stepping up and making sure they bring about no reductions in child care funding and if possible, increase the funding,” said Tory. “When you are still talking about a cutback, that is just not right, given the importance of child care to so many families in Toronto”

City councillors Mike Layton and Joe Cressy also criticized the process, saying in a joint statement that “rather than this slow and painful ripping off of a band-aid, it’s time for the provincial government to completely reverse their cuts to child care,” and added that in a city where 17,000 low income families are stuck on child care waiting lists, funding should be added instead of cutting what they have.