WHEREAS the province of Ontario has one of the best, albeit expensive, child care system in the country to include its full-day kindergarten program for four and five-year olds;
AND WHEREAS the province of Ontario is in the process of negotiating an agreement with the federal government that will ensure the protection of our unique, sophisticated and mature child care system;
AND WHEREAS Municipality of East Ferris families who are preparing to emerge from the fourth wave of the pandemic view child care as a financial hardship and a barrier for women’s full economic participation;
AND WHEREAS the Municipality of East Ferris Community Safety and Well Being Plan identifies a need for more childcare spaces in Astorville and in Corbeil with parents seeking the freedom to choose from an expanded regulated daycare system with for-profit, not-for-profit, and independent providers where early childhood educators are supported with adequate wages and working conditions;
AND WHEREAS provincial governments in BC, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec have already reached agreements with the federal government;
THEREFORE BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that Municipality of East Ferris encourages the province of Ontario to pursue its negotiations with the federal government to ensure daycare fees are lowered to an average of $10 per day, per child;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Council of the Municipality of East Ferris directs staff to take the necessary steps in its dealings with the provincial government and the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board (DNSSAB) to ensure that East Ferris child-care providers have access to sufficient child-care spaces and programs to support our local families;
AND that a certified copy of this resolution be forwarded to Minister of Education Stephen Lecce, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Merrilee Fullerton, MP Nipissing Timiskaming Anthony Rota, MPP Nipissing Vic Fedeli, Director of Education Near North District School Board Craig Myles, Directeur de l`éducation Conseil scolaire catholique Franco-Nord Serge Levac and DNSSAB CAO Catherine Matheson.