Ontario Caregivers - daycare announcement due today

[playfelt]

This was shared with me this morning from another group - found this info online. It is now 9:32 on my computer so our future is being discussed as I type this:

http://news.ontario.ca/edu/en/2013/1...ouncement.html

[bright sparks]

Where will they post the announcement, do you know?

[mimi]

From what I read in the Toronto Star this morning (headline news) that the ON government is going to designate daycares affiliated (attached) to schools to become commercial daycares. This means they will have to follow the DNA and are not independent operators.

[Other Mummy]

From what I read in the Toronto Star this morning (headline news) that the ON government is going to designate daycares affiliated (attached) to schools to become commercial daycares. This means they will have to follow the DNA and are not independent operators.

This does not affect providers who provide care in their home. This is for the daycare centres which operate under the old 1990's loophole which allows them to operate as a "Home" daycare providers. This means they will have to operate (and be licensed, etc) as a commercial daycare.

Not sure what the announcement at 9:30am will be about. I'm sitting on pins and needles.

[playfelt]

So the increase for licensed care only matters if you are willing to take on another school aged child over age 6 which most of us are not.

There doesn't look to be anything addressing the fact kids come into care at age 1 now and not 4-6 months old which was the rationale for the 2 under 2 rule.

This is going to mean that we will be down to 3 kids including our own infants/toddlers/preschoolers and only be allowed a couple more such as our own JK/SK child. So those of us not doing school runs are out.

At the same time schools will have all the grade 1-6 kids so that leaves just the JK/SK kids in schools that don't have a before/after program.

Not really seeing the incentive to be licensed yet as the ratios mean there is no difference to now except for the loss of income and loss of independence in our program

[Fun&care]

There really won't be a difference in income then, considering agencies take about 10$ per day per child, if we are allowed one less kid...financially it ends up being the same am I correct?

I would also like more detail about "unsafe" daycares being shut down. Hopefully they come up with a specific definition of "unsafe".

I just don't get where all the 12 month olds are going to go now. They are not addressing the demand for care for this age range and that unlicensed daycares are taking these kids on because licensed places don't have spaces. They are basically cutting that off and it will leave parents with no care options.

Feeling pretty bummed out

[2cuteboys]

There really won't be a difference in income then, considering agencies take about 10$ per day per child, if we are allowed one less kid...financially it ends up being the same am I correct?

I would also like more detail about "unsafe" daycares being shut down. Hopefully they come up with a specific definition of "unsafe".

I just don't get where all the 12 month olds are going to go now. They are not addressing the demand for care for this age range and that unlicensed daycares are taking these kids on because licensed places don't have spaces. They are basically cutting that off and it will leave parents with no care options.

Feeling pretty bummed out

Your agencies charge $10/day/child???? That's obscene.

In AB our agencies are funded by the gov't through child and family services; it's really the only reason it actually works. I pay them $70/month, and $40 of that is insurance. It basically works out to $10/child/month, and I only have 3 kids (not including my own). I believe the agency staff is paid by the government, with the agency fees mainly going to admin stuff. They also run 6 PD trainings a year.

We're limited to 6 including our own kids, 2 under 2, 3 under 3. It does result in a lot of 1 year olds without care, but we still have non-accredited day homes with no restrictions on ages. One of my neighbours runs one and she's got mainly under 2s.

We also have levels of accreditation based on education and experience, and the government pays top-up wages to providers with agencies, up to $6.62/hr of time you have kids in your home. We also get $2500 (meant to be spent on things for the program, but it's not monitored) after the completion of one year (for the first two years), and a bonus for returning to child care after being gone for some period of time - it didn't apply to me so I'm not sure what the time frame is. I need to do a lot of work (submit meal and program plans, have monthly visits, attend PD), but the extra money FAR outweighs the extra hour it takes me a week.

Bottom line is if the government it going to go ahead with such tight restrictions, they need to cough up some incentive programs. They're going to have A LOT of providers jumping ship as it just won't be financially beneficial or feasible at all. What happens to the economy when a significant number of parents need to quit because they can no longer find or afford childcare? Not a good situation.

[playfelt]

From ON Minister of Education Liz Sandals press conference on modernizing child care, with thanks to Erin Anderson at the Globe and Mail for her tweets from the news conference. (NOTE: all announcements must be passed in the provincial legislature):

- Ontario proposes changes to daycare act, more space in licensed home day care, more power for inspectors, more care in schools
- school boards must provide before and after care for kids Grade 1-6, where need exists
- Licensed home daycare providers would be able to look after six kids (includes their own children)
- Unlicensed home daycare would only be allowed to look after five kids, and have to meet same age ratios and count their own kids
- Ontario education minister Liz Sandals suggests that over time the changes would create "thousands" of new licensed spots
- proposed new powers for inspectors to give big fines and shut down unsafe daycares "on the spot."
- "We are introducing huge teeth into the inspection process,” Education Minister Liz Sandals says of proposed daycare changes
- "There's a financial incentive right now to not be licensed. We are going to flip that.” Ontario Ed. Minister says
- Proposed law: fines for unsafe daycares rise from $2,000 to $100,000 and the province would not need a court order to do it
- With new law, inspectors could have shut down Vaughn daycare where 2-year-old died the day it happened, no judge needed

[cfred]

Yep...if that all comes into effect, guess I'll be shutting down. I'll make better money bartending. Shame to have wasted my education.

[playfelt]

I think the unsafe part will be if there is a complaint like in the Vaughan case they can shut it down on the spot instead of calling in another ministry to do something.