Deadline for child-care operators to opt in to $10-a-day extended
The province has extended the deadline for childcare operators to opt into the life-changing $10-a-day program.
"The extension, it is a good thing that parents can tap into it," said mom and childcare advocate Kim Gilbert.
She's glad to see more parents will be able to gain access to care for their children.
"It's good they extended the deadline a little bit for those that haven't accessed childcare centres to save a spot for their child,” Gilbert said.
And it gives operators more time to weigh the pros and cons of joining the program.
The City of Windsor was unable to confirm the number of operators that have decided to opt into the program.
CTV News spoke to one local operator that is on the fence, while in other regions many providers have made the decision
In Toronto, 587 of the 1,042 licensed child-care centres have applied to opt in while 32 have opted out.
"We're opting in," said Penny Bowser, supervisor at Olivia DiMaio Day Care Centres. "We think it's a great opportunity for our parents. We think it'll bring a sense of community to the childcare sector as a whole. It brings more equality to everybody."
Parents like Ruth Barkou-King feel the program will help immensely and anxiously wait to see it become tangible.
"We want to grow our family so when we have to pay for more of our children to go to childcare it will really help with our financial situation in general,” Barkou-King said.
Earlier this year, the feds announced a five-year deal to reduce child care fees.
While some are glad to see the deadline pushed back, others are stuck in a waiting game to see if their child care provider will sign up.
"Unfortunately that money hasn't flowed from the government to the municipalities and then to the operators," said Gilbert.
Bowser added, "We're listening to what the government is telling us so yes do I have faith that it's coming. Yep, I do."
The government also promised to create 86,000 new licensed early learning and child care spaces in the province.
If we don't address those concerns about recruitment and retention it's gonna be very hard to create more spots," said Gilbert. "Because there's not going to be the staff there to run a decent quality program.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.