EXCERPTS
The Region of Peel and other community agencies say the lack of local child care spaces is pushing many parents to rely on unlicensed care.
"Peel receives the lowest per-capita funding for child care in the province, 43 per cent less than the provincial average," said Marilyn Dumaresq, director of child advocacy group Success By 6 Peel.
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According to regional statistics, only about 20 per cent of children aged zero to four are accommodated by Peel's 24,000 licensed childcare spaces.
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Despite improvements from all levels of government, Canada's daycare system is one of the worst in the Western world.
It's time for a national daycare program, instead of piecemeal systems put together by the provinces.
It would be affordable and safe, hopefully preventing deaths as we recently saw at a Mississauga daycare that resulted in a woman being charged.
- reprinted from the Brampton Guardian