For immediate release
January 13, 2010

Premier proposing year-round daycare in schools

Simcoe – One day after Premier McGuinty announced all-day everyday kindergarten, he is now talking about running a year-round daycare for four and five year-olds that would cover statutory holidays, professional development days and summer holidays.

“I can’t help but wonder what teachers who have traditionally had statutory holidays and the summer months off will think,” asked Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett. “And what about those daycare operators who have run community programs for so many years. These folks have long been underpaid and underfunded and now Premier McGuinty is putting them out of business!”

Barrett went on to question what parents will do with older siblings on the holidays – who will watch over them after government potentially forces babysitters, daycares and before-and-after school programs to close their doors?

The government has said that not all schools will have the administrative capacity to offer year-round kindergarten/daycare, which begs to question who will foot the bill for all these additional services? Is this another McGuinty trial balloon that puts the decision-making and financial burden on the school boards?

“Yesterday, this was about educating kids at a younger age, but today it’s clear Mr. McGuinty wants to run his own daycare,” Barrett said. “Yet another hare-brained idea that could bring more harm than good.”

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For more information contact MPP Toby Barrett at 519-428-0446, 905-765-8413 or 1-800-903-8629