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Child-care advocates lambasted leader John Tory and the Progressive Conservative party's election platform yesterday for ignoring critical issues in their sector&em; including growing wait lists for subsidized child care.
"Silence. That's all we've heard from the Conservative party," said Elizabeth Albett, executive director of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care.
"The crisis is now," she said. "Parents are desperate. They need child-care spots."
The Liberals have a funding commitment of $500 million in their platform and would provide direct funding to create a new preschool program for all 4- and 5-year-olds. The NDP has pledged a similar program, but would feed $800 million into child care. While Albett said she welcomes the Liberal and NDP commitments, she wanted more details from both and a focus on long-term rather than "Band-Aid" solutions.
As for the Conservatives, they've made no funding commitment whatsoever. Child care is "obviously off their radar," said Albett, saying this low priority "makes me question their commitment to children in this province who so desperately need child care."
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- reprinted from the Toronto Star