Province gives boost to child care

The provincial government has announced an increase in funding for child care in the hopes of creating 4,000 additional subsidized spaces across the province.
The Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board learned earlier this week that it would be receiving an increase in annual funding, as well as some one-time funding for child care in the district.
“We’re really pleased,” said DSSAB CAO Donna Dittaro.
The board will receive an annual increase of $116,876 to increase service levels, and another annual increase of about $12,000 for administration costs.
However, these increases are not funding entirely by the province. The provincial government will pay for 80 percent of the $116,876 increase, while municipalities will cover the remaining 20 percent.
The $12,00 increase will be split 50/50 between the province and municipalities.
The DSSAB will also receive one-time funding of $19,300 for minor capital expenses, and another $20,500 to address health and safety needs.
The province will supply 100 percent of this one-time funding.
While the increase is good news, Dittaro noted they could always use more.
“There’s never enough for child care,” she said. “We have a really high demand for subsidized child care spaces. We can never seem to meet the demand.”
The new cash will help provide some new spaces at district day care centres.
“We’ll certainly notice a difference,” Dittaro said. “We’ll make really good use of it.”
The new funding for child care is in marked contrast to the previous provincial government’s attitude toward the program.
“[Child care] was really neglected by the province prior to the transfer [to municipalities,]” she said. “Of all the programs that were devolved to the DSSAB, that was the one that was most neglected.”
The McGuinty government announced the funding increase two weeks ago, with the goal of creating 4,000 new subsidized child care spaces across the province.
The government is investing $58.2 million this year in federal child care transfer funds to support existing child care spaces and to create new subsidized spaces.