EXCERPTS:
The City of Toronto needs another $74.4 million from the province or more than 2,000 daycare spaces will have to be closed, the mayor's task force on child care has found.
And that's only a Band-Aid solution, says Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, the task force chair.
To stabilize the system, the city needs $123 million to cover an increase in the cost of living and pay for thousands of unfunded spaces the city subsidizes.
"This is not an issue that the City of Toronto can solve locally. This is a situation created by the province and is one that can only be resolved by the province," said Mammoliti.
Education Minister Laurel Broten said the province is willing to talk with the city, but that significant investments are already being made in that area.
"What's surprising to me is that when Mayor (Rob) Ford met with Premier (Dalton) McGuinty in advance of the election he made it clear that he was not looking for additional funding and now we're hearing from the city that they are," said Broten.
The province already gives the city $262 million in child care funding and at the moment, ministry officials are focused on implementing all-day kindergarten across Ontario by 2014.
"All-day kindergarten will transform lives. It will concretely save families up to $6,500 a year," she said. "I think (Mammoliti's) out of touch with families and I don't know that he knows the history of this file that well."
Ford named Mammoliti, a trusted ally on council and a former MPP, as chair of the task force in July. To the annoyance of some opposition councillors, Mammoliti has been holding his meetings behind closed doors.
Janet Davis, a left-leaning councillor who represents Beaches-East York, said the province has been open to coming up with funding in the past.
"I just hope nothing rash is done (while these discussions occur). There is a reserve fund that will be enough to cover all of next year," she said.
When asked if spots could be closed as early as 2012, Mammoliti was not clear.
-reprinted from the Toronto Star