EXCERPTS
Child care experts and advocates say a provincial proposal to allow babies and toddlers in licensed daycares to be cared for in larger groups with fewer adults is the wrong way to promote quality.
The proposed regulatory changes, released last month, are in response to the final rollout of full-day kindergarten next fall and Ottawa's enhanced parental leave benefits that took effect in 2000, according to an Education Ministry summary.
The changes to child-staff ratios and group sizes are intended to allow daycare centres more flexibility and increase access and affordability for parents, says the summary, which invites written feedback by Feb. 28.
But child care experts, advocates and operators say the changes run contrary to recommendations by the American Public Health Association, the Canadian Pediatrics Society and other child development experts.
They want the Wynne government to take more time, hold public consultations and review the research.
"When we look at ratios around the world and the trends, this is going in the opposite direction and could negatively impact quality in a pretty significant way," said Martha Friendly of the Child Care Resource and Research Unit who has issued a briefing note on the issue.
A spokeswoman for Education Minister Liz Sandals said the government began consulting the child care community about modernizing the sector in June 2012 and is providing ample opportunity for comment.
"We're confident that the changes we are making to Ontario's child care system strike a responsible balance between quality, affordability and accessibility," said Lauren Ramey.
Child-staff ratios are one of the most important elements of quality, Friendly said. When adults are caring for fewer children there is more interaction, closer emotional bonds, more learning and better behaviour. Staff morale and working conditions are better too, she noted.
"This is a complex, multi-faceted issue and requires careful consideration and use of the best information available," said Donna Lero a professor at the University of Guelph's Centre for Families, Work and Well-Being.
"The group sizes that are proposed are way too high and out of line with those endorsed by early childhood professionals in Canada, the U.S. and internationally," she added.
The proposal to put children between the ages of 1 and 2 in groups of up to 15 with just three staff is most alarming for early childhood educators. (Currently, babies between 12 and 18 months are in groups no larger than 10, with staff-child ratios of 1 to 3.)
"They are just learning to walk, they are charging all over everywhere and everyone, they bump into anything or bite anyone," said Jane Mercer of the Toronto Coalition for Better Child Care, which represents non-profit centres and licensed home daycares in the city.
"They are adorable, but they are a wild little age group. I think it's really dangerous to have that many children in one room," she said.
"No parents have been calling up and saying could we please have more young children in the group," she added.
In addition to changes to staff-child ratios and group sizes, the proposed regulations would also allow mixed-age groups, which experts support, but not in sizes of up to 20, as suggested by the ministry.
A policy statement making quality "a central component of the province's vision for the early years," and guidelines around daycare program content and delivery are also included in proposed changes.
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- reprinted from the Toronto Star