MacLeod accuses Wynne gov’t of taking away parental choice

Ontario PC leadership candidate Lisa MacLeod says she is concerned about the Liberals’ new child care modernization act.

It proposes increasing the number of spaces in licensed home daycares from 5 to 6, and limiting the number of children under the age of 2 in a home daycare to just 2. MacLeod says parents will now have fewer daycare options.

“In this case, the government is taking away parental choice. It will eliminate 140,000 child care spots; it will increase child care costs in Ontario up to 30 to 40 per cent; and communities that will be affected most are going to be high-growth areas like Halton and Brampton, South Ottawa and of course rural communities which are going to have their choice in childcare extremely limited with this piece of legislation.”

Bill 10 would replace the Day Nurseries Act, which has been in place since the 1940’s. The Association of Daycare Operators of Ontario says they haven’t been allowed in to the Bill 10 hearings, and say their concerns are not being heard.