Ford funding cuts threaten thousands of subsidized Toronto child care spaces

More than 6000 subsidized child care spaces in Toronto may be gone due to the Ford government’s recent funding cuts.

According to a CBC report, a memo from city staff to Mayor John Tory details the impact of reduced child care funding that was outlined in the 2019 provincial budget.

The memo shows drastic changes to the city’s current child care cost sharing models, and states that the City wasn’t consulted, or warned, previous to the changes.

CBC reports that while the City is still awaiting actual numbers from the provincial government, they are estimating the changes will cost Toronto almost $85 million this year.

See also

• Ontario Budget 2019: What you need to know about today's announcement
• City officials want Ford to reverse $1-billion cuts to Toronto Public Health
• Ontario cutting $1-billion to Toronto Public Health in next decade
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The result of which will potentially cause the loss of 6,166 subsidized child care spaces in Toronto.

“The provincial government is changing cost-sharing requirements for municipalities, which will create further budget pressures for municipal governments,” said the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care in a release earlier this week.

“It is clear that the Ford government has been playing a shell game with parents and child care providers. They promise parents a tax credit, but quietly eliminate funding that helps control child care fees and provides subsidies for low-income families.”

Toronto deputy mayor Michael Thompson is scheduled to speak about the funding cuts at 11 am on Friday.