New age restrictions should be more flexible! sign petition

https://www.change.org/p/me-for-home...edium=copyLink

Many home daycares are closing due to the new age restrictions (no more than 2 children under 2), as it becomes not worth the operation costs and makes it harder to fill all spots. In turn, parents are having a harder time finding affordable infant spaces in daycares.

Many home daycares provide the comfort of having a personal and close parent-teacher-child relationship. Infants benefit from having a small group size in comparison to a commercial infant room who can have up to 9 babies. Why is it that the laws proposed for September 1, 2017 allow for a commercial daycare to have 1 adult per 4 babies aged 12-24 mths (1:4), yet a home daycare allows only 2 children in this age group per 1 adult (1:2)? How can the government justify creating such a large child to adult ratio in their commercial daycares and such a small ratio in home daycares. If it's a matter of regulation, then why are licensed home daycares still bound by this strict rule?

Most children experience a rapid spurt of development between the ages of 12mths and 18mths (in terms of walking, eating, understanding, communication, and sleep habits). Therefore, the restrictions for ages should be reduced to 18mths... so only 2 kids under 18mths, rather than 2 years. Furthermore, if the Ministry of Education is trying to open up licensed spaces, then why do they think that increasing the number of children allowed in a home daycare to 6 would make people want to get licensed? Most child care providers would not want more than 5 children in their care on their own anyways, how can you say it is easier to care for 6 children just because only 2 of them are under 2? I think it would be easier to care for 4 children in total, even if 3 of them are only 18mths old.

Also, why is it that the number of adults does not change the age or max number of kids rule? If the ministry allowed licensed home daycares to hire an extra staff, then quality of care would increase. More daycares would want to get licensed and would provide better care because they would be encouraged to have 2 staff on hand rather than only one set of eyes. If the ministry created different adult to child ratios for home daycares, just like they do with commercial ones, then it would give more reason to get licensed, and in turn open up more quality daycare spaces in Ontario. I think there is much more quality in a licensed home daycare with 2 staff and 6 children even if 4 of them are under the age of 2. In a licensed commercial daycare today, there can be 9 babies under 12mths with only 3 adults! How does this make sense? Why are the home daycare rules so strict in comparison, even when they are licensed?

I think Ontario home child care legislation should be changed to only "2 kids under 18mths," or "only 3 kids under the age of 2". This would open up more spaces in home daycares, (and result in less home daycares closing). Some parents can even extend their maternity leaves to 18mths, as it would be much easier finding a spot in a daycare at this age. Also, I think the Ministry should consider a more flexible set of rules/ratios for a home daycare with two staff on hand if they become licensed. This would encourage more home daycares to become licensed and in turn, higher quality care.

Please sign the petition in the link above if you agree!

While I agree that the new rules are insane and are creating a childcare crisis in this province, a petition, I'm sorry to say, won't do much good. The Coalition of Independent Childcare Providers of Ontario (CICPO) fought against these rules for 2 years before they were implemented. We organized rallies, protests, petitions and information campaigns. We spoke at Queen's Park, we got politicians to speak on our behalf. It did nothing.

By all means continue with a petition, and I don't mean to be a downer, but realistically speaking, these rules are here to stay until the next provincial election. Feel free to visit www.cicpo.ca for more info if you want to become more involved, but a petition at this point is sadly a bit too late.