Status of Child Care Services (Funding)

November 1, 2023

Dear Minister Lecce,

On behalf of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), I am writing to you to address our significant concerns regarding the funding shortfall that hinders our ability to build previously agreed to child care sites in TDSB schools, and its subsequent impact on equity of access to child care services in our schools, particularly in Scarborough, York, Etobicoke, and the Northwest.

While child care is the joint responsibility of the Province and City, our Board remains dedicated in its commitment to promoting a seamless day model for child care services. As in the past, we remain committed to supporting and co-locating viable and sustainable child care facilities within our schools, a vision clarified in the Ministry’s Working Together in Shared Spaces document: “The Ministry of Education supports an integrated early years and child care system in which school board and child care professionals work in partnership to provide seamless, high quality programs for children throughout the day.”

It is important to point out that significant inequities exist in child care services across various areas within the City of Toronto, with disparities prevalent in underserved communities such as Scarborough and the Northwest. The discrepancies in access to child care services co-located in schools has led to inequitable opportunities for children and their families in these areas. This conflicts with our shared goal of providing equal opportunities for seamless high-quality programs for all children and families in the city, regardless of their geographic location.

The map below shows the location of TDSB schools with child care centres that serve children 0 to 3.8 years of age.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks to rectifying these discrepancies is the significant delays in obtaining Ministry approvals to proceed (ATP) to tender for 17 of the child care projects in underserved areas of our system. These delays have not only led to increased costs but have also hampered our efforts to bridge and close the child care gap in affected communities. This has effectively led to a generation of children being denied access to integrated child care in schools.

As you know, the Ministry approved 28 new child care projects on TDSB sites across the City of Toronto in 2017. In 2020, our Board pledged additional funding toward the construction of 17 of the 28 new child care centers. Yet, significant delays by the Ministry in giving our Board ATP in these 17 cases has left us unable to proceed without significant additional funding from the Ministry.

The 17 approved child cares to be developed within schools are projected to create over 1000 childcare spaces in areas with the highest demand for subsidized childcare.

The approved 17 locations below are located in priority and underserved neighbourhoods:

The fact of the matter is that delays, combined with Ministry benchmarks that do not reflect current construction costs – especially in the city of Toronto – contribute to additional strain on TDSB resources.

The estimated costs will exceed the recently approved EDU funding approved by the Ministry of Education by 43% for the 17 child care centers. The funding allocated by the Ministry falls significantly short, covering only slightly over half of the total current estimated cost.

To bridge this substantial funding gap for construction expenses, additional financial support from the Ministry is imperative, as the TDSB simply does not have additional funds to assign to projects outside of our core mandate.

Back in 2020, our Board committed additional funds to ensure these 17 projects were built. We remain committed to that agreement. Similarly, the Ministry must step forward and help us to see these projects through to fruition. This collaborative effort is essential in ensuring seamless day child care services in schools are made accessible and equitable across the City of Toronto.

I firmly believe that by addressing these concerns and working together with the Ministry of Education and the City, we can create a more equitable and efficient child care system that benefits all communities, especially those in underserved areas.

We look forward to continuing our partnership to ensure that every child in Toronto has access to high-quality, integrated child care services co-located in schools.

As always, I am happy to discuss these concerns at your earliest convenience.

Thank you,

Rachel Chernos Lin

Chair, Toronto District School Board

Response received on November 21, 2023, from the Ministry of Education stating that the ministry is committed to providing 25% additional funding for the construction of 28 previously approved projects.