Toronto should boost child-care spending by $11M over 3 years, budget chief says

Toronto Budget Chief Gary Crawford says the city will make good on its promise to match a portion of new provincial and federal funding for child care.

"The bottom line is we are living up to our commitment," Crawford told CBCToronto on Monday.

Crawford said the city's budget committeewill recommendon Tuesday, as part of the city'sfinal 2018 budget, that councilcommit $11 million over three years tochild care. The recommendationwill be made to Mayor John Tory'sexecutive committee. Council is scheduled to considerthe budget on Feb.12 and 13.

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Specifically, Crawfordsaid the money will be used to increase the number of child-care fee subsidies for children, from birth to age 4, and to build an Indigenous child-care and family centre in Toronto. The number of subsidies will increase by 825 in 2018, he said.

The city's contribution to the federal and provincial funds will be phased in by 2021. The money will be used for both operating costs and capital expenditures.

"If we can do better, we are working at trying to do better. But at this point, we will commit to exactly what council wants, which was a 20 per cent over a three year commitment," Crawfordsaid.

"There's a need for the city, along with our provincial and federal partners, tocommit to increasing child care overall, between subsidies and spacing. We have been increasing that. This is something that we can't do alone. We'revery pleased that the federal and provincial governments have stepped up to the plate."

Crawford's comments come several hours after a news conference was held by child care advocates who called on the city to fulfil its commitment.

Families are 'desperate'

The advocates, who are also parents of young children, said families are "desperate."

Earlier, Carolyn Ferns, an employee of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, told reporters thatshe ison 12 waiting lists for child care. Fern iscurrently on maternity leave with her eight-month-old son Rowan.

Fern, a former child-care worker, said she and her partner are prepared to pay full fees for child care because they do not qualify for a subsidy. She said sheis likely going to be paying more than $1,500 permonth for care for her son.

"For the last eight months, I've had a first-hand look at the child-care crisis," Ferns said.

"The federal and provincial governments have stepped up to add money to child care, and we need the city of Toronto to do the same. We need all three levels of government working together to make a difference on this issue."

She saidthe city should be involved in the planning process now that provincial and federal funding is available.

"The city should be supporting our youngest citizens. There's nothing more important than that."

According to TorontoACORN, which stands for Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, councillorsvoted unanimously last year in favour of a plan over 10 years to add new child-care spaces and reduce fees for parents.

The plan includeda commitment by the city to match 20 per cent of new provincial and federal money for child care.

Pooria Just, a single dad to his son Dustan, 4, and a member of Toronto ACORN, said the high cost of child care takes a majortoll on families.

Just,an entrepreneur whohas founded three startups, saidhe took three years off to look after his son.

"We desperately need the city to keep its 20 per cent commitment."

Laurel Rothman,interim coordinator of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, said government investments in child care benefitlow-to-middle income families, under served neighbourhoodsandnewcomers to the city.

"Toronto families are desperate for affordable, high quality child-care spaces," she said.

Average fees for parents are about $1,200 permonth, she said.About 12,000 eligiblechildren areon the waiting list for child-care fee subsidies.

On Monday after the news conference, Rothmansaid provincial and federal funding for child care is a poverty reduction measure.

Coun. Janet Davis, who represents Ward 31, Beaches-East York, said the federal and provincial governments committed $56 million to child care in Toronto last year.That means the city's contribution should be$11.2 million.

Davissaid at the news conference that the promise that the city's contribution will be phased in by 2021 is "not good enough."