Ontario tightens rules governing unregulated daycare
TheStar.com – News/GTA – New child care legislation would give Ontario more power to fine or close illegal daycares
Dec 03 2013. By: Laurie Monsebraaten
Ontario is tightening provincial rules governing unregulated daycare businesses and throwing the book at those that flout the law.
Under the Child Care Modernization Act, being introduced Tuesday, the province would be able to immediately close a daycare where children are at risk.
In addition, the act would allow ministry officials to levy penalties of up to $100,000 per infraction against caregivers running illegal daycares.
Maximum fines would rise from $2,000 to $250,000 under the proposed act.
If the legislation is enacted, ministry officials would no longer have to go to court to issue fines or shutter an illegal daycare.
“When parents drop their children off for child care, they want to know they’re in a safe nurturing environment, regardless of whether they are in licensed or unlicensed care,” Education Minister Liz Sandals said in a statement.
“They also need to know that the government will be able to intervene when a child’s safety is at risk,” she said.
The proposed legislation would also take away the financial incentive of remaining unregulated. Under the act, anyone providing care for more than five children under age 10 — including their own children — would require a licence.
It means unregulated caregivers will no longer be able to exclude their own children in the maximum number of kids allowed, Sandals said in an interview.
Unregulated caregivers would be further restricted by being able to care for only two children under age 2, as is currently the law for regulated home daycares.
The legislation is in response to the death of three young children in unregulated Toronto-area home daycares since last July.
One of the homes in Vaughan, where two-year-old Eva Ravikovich died, was illegally caring for 27 children when police and emergency services arrived.
The Ministry of Education later admitted that it had neglected to follow up on four complaints about the home and suspended two employees, prompting an investigation by Ontario’s ombudsman. Eva’s parents have since filed a $3.5-million lawsuit against the province and the owners and operators of the unlicensed daycare business.
If approved, the new legislation will also close a 1993 loophole that has allowed private schools to operate pre-schools without a daycare license.
Currently these programs operate without any rules in stark contrast to licensed daycare centres which must follow strict health, safety and programming rules and are inspected annually.
To signal the province’s support for licensed care, the proposed legislation would increase the number of children allowed in regulated home daycares from five to six children under age 10, as “they are the ones being regularly monitored,” Sandals said.
The increase is in line with what several other provinces allow, including Quebec, she said.
The new legislation, which runs to more than 100 pages, also clarifies many “gray areas” in the current rules around what type of care has to be licensed.
The proposed act exempts family members, nannies and occasional babysitters from requiring a license. Play areas in stores, day camps and recreation programs would also be exempt.
Provisions in the act would also give the education ministry more authority to share child care information with other ministries and government authorities, such as Children’s Aid and public health.
Changes to the Education Act also being introduced Tuesday would ensure school boards offer before- and after-school programs for 6 to 12-year-olds where there is sufficient demand. School boards are currently only required to provide these programs for students in junior and senior kindergarten. Under the amendment, programs for older students could be delivered directly by the board, by third-party child care providers or authorized recreation providers.
In the vast majority of complaints investigated by ministry officials, the caregiver isn’t aware they are breaking the law and are quick to comply, Sandals said.
But in cases where caregivers are deliberately non-compliant, the legislation will give ministry officials the power to immediately issue fines of up to $100,000 and, or, close the operation.
The legislation further allows for court-ordered fines of up to $250,000.
Currently, ministry officials have to go to court to issue fines or close illegal daycares.
“It’s really very onerous under the current act to get any sort of penalty and then the penalty isn’t worth much,” Sandals said of the current $2,000 maximum fine. “That has got to change.”
< http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/12/03/ontario_tightens_rules_governing_unregulated_daycare.html >
Tags: child care, ideology, rights, standard of living
This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 3rd, 2013 at 10:46 am and is filed under Child & Family Policy Context. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
147 Responses to “Ontario tightens rules governing unregulated daycare”
« Older Comments | Newer Comments »
Leave a Reply
Recent Comments
There are some serious financial ramifications here.
Thanks for another great post. Where else may anybody get that type of info in such an ideal way of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I’m at the search for such information.
We absolutely love your blog and find the majority of your post’s to be exactly what I’m looking for. Do you offer guest writers to write content to suit your needs? I wouldn’t mind composing a post or elaborating on a number of the subjects you write about here. Again, awesome weblog!
What’s Happening i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I’ve found It positively useful and it has aided me out loads. I hope to contribute & help other users like its aided me. Great job.
Great blog here! Additionally your website rather a lot up very fast! What host are you the usage of? Can I get your associate link for your host? I desire my website loaded up as fast as yours lol
I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was good. I do not know who you are but certainly you are going to a famous blogger if you are not already 😉 Cheers!
It’s the best time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I wish to suggest you some interesting things or tips. Maybe you can write next articles referring to this article. I wish to read even more things about it!
These kind of posts are always inspiring and I prefer to read quality content so I happy to find many good point here in the post. writing is simply wonderful! thank you for the post
Your thing regarding creating will be practically nothing in short supply of awesome. This informative article is incredibly useful and contains offered myself a better solution to be able to my own issues. Which can be the specific purpose MY PARTNER AND I has been doing a search online. I am advocating this informative article with a good friend. I know they are going to get the write-up since beneficial as i would. Yet again many thanks.
Write more stories, more chapters.
Good post. I study something more difficult on different blogs everyday. It’s going to always be stimulating to learn content material from other writers and observe a little bit one thing from their store. I’d prefer to use some with the content material on my blog whether you don’t mind. Natually I’ll give you a link in your web blog. Thanks for sharing.
I really like your writing style, excellent info , thanks for putting up : D.
Enjoyed studying this, very good stuff, thanks.
Just wanna admit that this is extremely helpful, Thanks for taking your time to write this.
Surprisingly good post. I really found your primary webpage and additionally wanted to suggest that have essentially enjoyed searching your website blog posts. Whatever the case I’ll always be subscribing to your entire supply and I hope you jot down ever again soon!
Saw your material, and hope you publish more soon.
I just couldn’t leave your website before suggesting that I really enjoyed the usual information an individual supply on your visitors? Is gonna be back often in order to investigate cross-check new posts
A good web site with interesting content, that’s what I need. Thank you for making this web site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters? I Can’t find it.
Amazing! Your site has quite a few comment posts. How did you get all of these bloggers to look at your site I’m envious! I’m still studying all about posting articles on the net. I’m going to view pages on your website to get a better understanding how to attract more people. Thank you!
Its wonderful as your other blog posts : D, regards for putting up.