June 28, 2011
Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, Chair
And Members, Community Development and Recreation Committee
City Hall
100 Queen Street West
10th Floor, West Tower
Toronto, Ontario
M5H 2N2
Dear Councillor Mammoliti,
And Members of the Community Development and Recreation Committee,
RE: CD5.7 – Recent Developments in Child Care and in Provincial Implementation of Early Learning
On behalf of CUPE Local 79, I stand in support of the report, “Early Childhood Education and Care in Toronto: Funding the Future”, being presented by Children’s Services.
Local 79 represents the more than 800 full-time and part-time Early Childhood Educators, Child Care Workers and Child Care Assistants who work in 58 child care centres directly operated by the City of Toronto, in addition to the many workers who assist in the managing of Children’s Services, including subsidy delivery. Our members are also parents and taxpayers who need and use Toronto’s child care system.
We know the City needs more resources to stabilize, sustain and build the municipal child care system. We also know how desperately needed these services are for all families living in Toronto.
Child care in the City of Toronto has been chronically underfunded by the provincial and federal governments. Governments need to step up to the plate and make a solid funding commitment to this City. As the waiting lists for child care continue to grow and working families scramble to find child care, the City must also commit to the vital importance of child care today and in the long term. Investment in child care will benefit this growing City for generations.
Working families cannot afford to have one dollar, one child care space, or one subsidy cut from Toronto Children’s Services. It’s time to press the Ontario and Federal governments for resources so the City can continue to manage and operate a quality, accessible child care system.
Yours truly,
Ann Dembinski
President
