Dear Child Care Friends,

Yesterday, the City's Community Development & Recreation Committee (CDRC) unanimously approved a motion to ask City Council to increase the Children's Services 2017 Budget by $6.68 million to reverse proposed budget cuts, and improve access to affordable child care for Toronto families.   
 
The additional funding would:
  • add 340 new fee subsidies (75 approved in 2016; plus 265 new subsidies for 50% of new licensed spaces built through capital in 2017/18) at a cost of $3.4 million;
  • stop fee increases for parents in school-based child care by keeping the School Occupancy Grant funding for 2017;  and request the Province, along with all school boards, to provide the funding in the future ($1.13 million);
  • include Year 2 base funding for the 5 Yr. Sustainability Plan approved by Council in 2016 ($2 million) to make 2,000 existing fee subsidies permanent that are currently funded through one-time draws from the CCE Reserve;
  • keep Capri Child Care open and request the General Manager of Children's Services to examine off-site options in the same neighbourhood to provide the same number of directly-operated spaces and retain the $150,000 to operate this service at another location.  
 
CDRC also requested the Budget Committee to offset the cost increase through Municipal Land Transfer Tax Harmonization, Commercial Tax changes and Assessment Growth - proposed new funding streams for 2017.

The CDRC child care budget proposal has three more hurdles:
 
Budget Committee : January 26th          email  buc@toronto.ca
Executive Committee: February 7th       email  Mayor Tory exc@toronto.ca
City Council: February 15th                      email   Your Councillor   &  clerk@toronto.ca
 
Affordable, high-quality child care is essential for Toronto parents, gender equity, our local economy, and most important, healthy child development.  Toronto child care is now the most expensive in the country, beyond the reach of most families. We need action.
 
The Mayor made an announcement today committing to 300 new fee subsidies. However, only 225 are new - 75 subsidies were approved by Council in 2016. Sadly, half the funding for the new subsidies will come from reallocating $1.13 M from School Occupancy Grants and raising parent fees.
 
The Mayor's proposal falls far short of the need and shifts a greater burden onto parent fees. The CDR Committee proposal is still on the table, and parents can still have an impact.
 
You can help by sharing this email with your friends, colleagues, and social media groups. Take the time to call and email your support for the CDRC's budget recommendations. Your voices will make a difference. 
 
Sincerely,

Sincerely,


Councillor Janet Davis
Ward 31, Beaches - East York
Phone: 416-392-4035