Toronto Mayor John Tory says the city is facing a “child care affordability crisis” and is urging the Ontario government to step up and provide additional funding to support families in need.
In a letter addressed to Premier Kathleen Wynne on Sunday, Tory said the current state of child care “can no longer be business as usual” with more than 18,000 children currently on wait lists.
“I firmly believe that when it comes to issues like child care and housing, it can no longer be business as usual because the status quo leaves Toronto taxpayers footing the bills that the province should be paying,” Tory wrote.
Tory said the ratio of subsidies to spaces has also been in decline since 2010.
“We ask that the Province act immediately to prevent us from falling even further behind, by (at minimum) providing the additional 4,918 subsidies needed for us to catch up and bring the ratio back to where it was in 2010,” he said.
READ MORE: Parents urge Toronto city council not to slash child care grants
Tory said he also wants the province to embed child care as part of early learning similar to that of the elementary school system.
The mayor’s letter to the premier comes as the city continues its search for additional funds to pay for social housing, child care and transportation costs.
VIDEO: Councillors sign Valentine Pledge to Toronto families in support of affordable child care
In January, Tory announced the city would invest $3 million to create 300 new child care subsidies. But critics argue the new funds would come from phasing out occupancy grants for schools that house daycares, a plan which parents say would add $350 more each year to their child care costs.
Wynne and Tory’s relationship has soured in recent weeks after the province nixed the city’s road toll plan for the Don Valley Parkway and the Gardiner Expressway.
Despite city council approving the controversial tolling option, the premier later rejected it citing that “conditions are not in place.” The move has since caused a rift between the two political leaders.
Following a meeting between Tory and Wynne last week, the mayor said that the province must step in fill in the funding void if the city won’t be allowed to add new revenue tools.
VIDEO: Kathleen Wynne, John Tory make nice in first meeting after toll proposal nixed
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