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Despite the protestations of the McGuinty government, there's nothing preventing the province from taking steps to keep new, for-profit, big-box child-care operators from setting up shop in Ontario.

Provincial NDP governments in Manitoba and Saskatchewan took the lead back in 2005 by vowing that all future child-care investments must be in the higher- quality non-profit child-care sector. That means new operators like Australia's ABC Learning Centres can't make a profit in those provinces. But ABC can make a profit on the backs of Ontario children. That's because the Liberals have refused to follow Manitoba and Saskatchewan's lead.

Studies show that non-profit child care is less expensive and delivers better quality for children. Opening up the public purse to for-profit child- care corporations makes no sense. All that will do is allow the likes of ABC to fill their private pockets with public dollars - at the expense of the preferred model of universal, affordable, not-for-profit, licensed child care.

During the past election the Liberals gave a confusing message on where they stand on child care, kindergarten and early learning. While nine in 10 children languish on waiting lists, the government has no real plan for non-profit, affordable child care in Ontario.

- Andrea Horwath, Ontario NDP Critic for Children and Youth Services, Toronto

- reprinted from the Toronto Star