Ontario child-care deal a win for Windsor-Essex's next generation, say community partners
CBC
Ontario's $10.2-billion deal with the federal government that will cut child-care fees in the province in half by the end of the year is being seen as a huge win for Windsor-Essex, according to community partners and those in the industry.
On Monday, Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau officially announced the deal, which will bring child-care fees down to an average of $10 a day by the end of 2025.
Parents of children aged five and under will start getting rebates for licensed child-care fees in May and can expect to see costs cut in half by the end of the year.
Windsor—Tecumseh Liberal MP Irek Kusmierczyk touted the plan and the benefits for Windsorites. He said on average, parents pay about $1,000 per month per child for care in the region.
"This plan will save the typical family of four in Windsor-Essex over $10,000 each year in child care costs, and that's huge," Kusmierczyk said during a virtual media briefing Tuesday.
High child-care costs can be a barrier to success for many families, said Alicea Fleming, director of impact and community investments at United Way Windsor-Essex. That's especially true for low-income or racialized families.
"All in all, this plan is a real game-changer for families in Windsor-Essex," said Fleming, who also joined Kusmierczyk's briefing.
"This has the potential to fundamentally shift the trajectory of outcomes for an entire generation of children in our community."
Community partners from Women's Enterprise Skills Training of Windsor and Unifor Local 444 echoed how important access to more affordable care is for women especially, trying to enter the workforce or advance their careers.
Tracy Bruce has been working in the child-care industry for about 17 years. She's area supervisor for Wee Watch Licensed Home Childcare in Windsor.
Bruce said for many parents, and especially mothers, there often is a choice made between going to work or staying home to care for a child because they may not make enough money to cover those care costs.
"I suspect that a lot of parents now, if they're paying less, it'll make it worth going to work," said Bruce.
"It's the moms most affected by that, so I think it's going to allow a lot of moms to go out if they choose to and have that choice."
In his announcement, Ford said the province would work on boosting wages for early childhood educators (ECEs). The Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario has called for a $25 minimum wage for registered ECEs.
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