On April 17, 2020 the Ford Government announced an expansion of eligible workers able to access free emergency child care in Ontario. It was the right thing to do, even if overdue.
Added to the list of workers were, “federally employed staff including Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada Border Services Agency” and Canada Post employees.”
Subsequently we learned that there was not, in fact, a directive issued by the Ford Government to Municipal Child Care Service Managers to restrict access to two-parent families, unless both parents are on the list of “designated” workers.
Instead, the individual Municipal Child Care Service Managers have developed their own set of restrictions, criteria and ranking of eligible workers. These restrictions are in place because there are just not enough spaces available.
What the COVID pandemic reveals is just how under-valued and under-funded human services, like child care, are in this country. What it also reveals is the desperate need for a publicly funded child care system that delivers care that is good for children and available and affordable to their parents.