Parents of 97 children have been forced to secure alternate childcare options after the province decided the dance, art, science, cooking, robotics and other programs their children currently attend is considered an unlicensed daycare.
“To find out on a Sunday that you have less than a week to find other childcare for your children seems absurd,” Melissa Kluger, whose daughter is enrolled at Sprouts Growing Minds & Bodies said.
The institution that offers walk-safe pickups from nearby Toronto schools was caught off-guard when they received a letter from the Ministry of Education last Thursday indicating they were, in essence, operating an unlicensed daycare and would therefore have to limit enrollment to three days a week per child, with no program running more than two hours.
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“It’s been hugely emotional – having to tell parents their kids can only be here three days a week,” Emily Pengelly, Co-Owner of Sprouts emotionally told Global News.
The east Toronto facility passed inspection in September, as they had in previous years. They’ve never had a single complaint either.
The co-owners of Sprouts have had to re-arrange class schedules to accommodate the shortened time mandated by government.
“5:30pm is an unrealistic time for almost every working parent to pick up their kids,” Kluger said. She’s also been circulating a petition among affected parents.
It took Guy Nicholson two days of pounding the phone and searching the internet to find a dance studio for his daughter to make up for the days when she wouldn’t be able to come to Sprouts.
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“I could understand if this was child care that was run out of some lady’s basement and had a bunch of shady reports coming in about it – but this is one of the best programs I’ve ever come across,” he said.
“It’s a logistical nightmare. Why would the government want us to drive to another part of the city to take our kids to a similar program?”
This is the response Global News received from Indira Naidoo-Harris, the Minister Responsible for Early Years & Child Care.
“The bottom line is the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA) lays out some very clear rules, and they were in contravention of those rules … We understand the difficulties and challenges that this may be creating, but the bottom line is this is about our children, this is about keeping them safe, and creating an environment where they can really reach their full potential.”
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Affected parent Mark Fraser stated clearly that he’ll be taking this experience with him to the ballot box.
“Next year is an election year – and every time the Liberals open their mouths, they seem to put a nail in the coffin,” he said.
How many families across Ontario could be affected by this crackdown isn’t yet clear, but Pengelly is sure Sprouts is not the only institution who’s been hit.
“If they’re going to tell me that I can’t offer any program more than three days a week, for more than two hours, then all the other programs — the dance schools that have five-day pickups, the martial arts schools — they’re going to have to enforce it with them too.”
UPDATE: James McLean, a senior policy advisor from the minister’s officer contacted Sprouts and said they will be meeting in person Wednesday to figure out a way to make them compliant with the CCEYA so that there will be no disruption to parents and families.