Lack
of Quality Non-Profit Child Care a "Disgrace"
Say Elementary Teachers
May 30, 2007
TORONTO, May 30, 2007 - Poor quality care in licensed Ontario child care facilities documented in recent media reports dramatically underlines the need for a national, non-profit child care program, says the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO).
ETFO
President Emily Noble acknowledged that the Ontario government quickly responded
to concerns about quality of care by promising to post details of child care inspections
on a government website. However, the issue of unsatisfactory child care continues
to be a serious concern, she said.
"It
is time to end this disgraceful situation," said Noble. "Low quality
child care can no longer be tolerated. The federal and provincial governments
must take immediate action and work together to ensure that fully-funded, regulated,
non-profit quality child care is available to all Canadians.
"In
the absence of a nationally-funded program, the provincial government must live
up to its 2003 election promise to restore the $300 million for child care programs
cut by the previous government," said Noble.
Noble
said that the Federation has been advocating for the development of regulated,
non-profit, high-quality child care for more than two decades.
"Teachers and educational support personnel understand first hand the vital role these services play in preparing young children to succeed in school."
The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario represents more than 70,000 public elementary school teachers and education workers across Ontario and is the largest teacher federation in Canada.
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