It’s now more than four years since the federal Liberal government pledged $30 billion in spending over five years for $10-a-day national childcare, and more than three years since Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government signed a $13.2-billion deal with the federal government to deliver this childcare plan.
Not surprisingly, with massive government funding came massive government control. While demand for childcare has increased due to the government subsidies and lower out-of-pocket costs for parents, the plan significantly restricts how childcare centres operate (including which items participating centres may purchase), and crucially caps the proportion of government funds available to private, for-profit providers.
