See text below.
EXCERPTS
Low-income families in Ontario face a "crisis" because of changes to a provincial program that subsidizes child-care fees, experts warn.
In one month alone, city staff have placed 130 families with 153 children on what's believed to be London's first ever waiting list for child-care subsidies.
It's happening in other Ontario cities, too.
"The system is broken. I don't know any other way to put it," said Susan Ryans, chairperson of London's child-care advisory committee.
"This is not acceptable to families who really are seeking child care. It puts families in a crisis situation."
The problem stems from January when the province changed eligibility for child- care subsidies to make them easier for families in need to get.
It made more families eligible, but the province didn't put more money into the program and money ran out.
"So as a result, this is the first time we've had to implement a wait list (for the subsidies)," said Lynne Livingstone, the city's director of neighbourhood and children's services, who noted Waterloo, Ottawa and Hamilton have done the same.
...
The child-care committee plans to take the issue to the city's community and protective services in hopes local politicians will pressure Queen's Park for more money.
The Children and Youth Services Ministry couldn't be reached for comment yesterday, but London Liberal MPP Deb Matthews admitted the waiting list is problematic.
"A lot of parents have a choice -- welfare or working. We need to make work a good option," she said.
But, she added, Dalton McGuinty's government has increased funding to its Best Start early childhood education program by 58 per cent over the past four years. She also cited election promises to move to full-day junior and senior kindergarten classes.
"That would free up about 8,000 subsidies province-wide and save parents $5,000," she said.
"It's a huge issue."
- reprinted from the London Free Press