Don't water-down Ontario's childcare standards

I am responding to the Ontario Ministry of Education new proposed regulations under the Child Care and Early Years Act (http://www.ontariocanada.com/registry/view.do…). These proposed new regulations would make major changes to licensed child care and regulated home child care. Unfortunatrely these proposed changes go in the wrong direction and the government must be told to re-think this.

I am opposed to the proposed changes to the current childcare ratios, age ranges and group sizes, in particular the new definition of a pre-schooler. The proposed regulation would define a pre-schooler as early as 24 months (two years of age), and would increase the maximum group size from 16 to 24. This is both a retrograde step and unmanageable. The definition for a pre-schooler should be left at 30 months and the maximum group size at 16.

I write as a parent who has gone through both licensed and unlicensed childcare, full-fee paying and subsidized childcare, and home-based and centre-based childcare. Currently I have grandchildren are going through both licensed childcare and full-day-learning. As well, I have been the chair of the board of a licensed childcare centre. From my experience I know that the current childcare standards reflect the quality of early childhood learning that children under care deserve. It is unacceptable to water-down these standards.

For more information please go to www.childcareontario.org.  Please let your MPP know your views, and please share widely.