“An insult to educators, children and families”: Child care community views on the Ontario government’s proposed changes to the Child Care and Early Years Act [1]
Excerpts from introduction
The Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario and the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care carried out a joint survey of the child care community -educators and parents -on the Ontario government’s proposed changes to the child care community. The online survey asked respondents their views on the government’s proposed changes: to age ranges, staff to child ratios and group sizes (Schedule 2); staff qualifications; before-and after-school programs; and an unlicensed child care registry.
The survey was completed by 2,443 respondents, of whom 1,693 were Early Childhood Educators and 741 were parents with children in child care. The survey found overwhelming opposition to some of the proposed regulatory changes. Respondents were especially concerned about changes to age ranges, ratios, and group sizes and staff qualifications, and expressed uncertainty and confusion with a registry of unlicensed home child care.