Ontario has enacted temporary legislation to prohibit child care centres from collecting payments from parents during COVID-19, while also ensuring that their child care spaces are protected.
Child care centres, with the exception of those servicing health care and frontline workers, were ordered to close last month to slow the spread of the virus and protect both clients and child care staff.
This new emergency order will provide financial relief to parents while eliminating concerns that they will lose their child care space for not paying fees during this period.
“COVID-19 has imposed significant financial pressure on working parents,” said Stephen Lecce, education minister in a press release. “We need to support our parents who may be facing reduced income or layoffs during the COVID-19 outbreak.”
Child care providers seeking support for businesses and individuals can do so through the federal government’s Economic Response Plan.
The province has said it will continue to work with the child care sector along with federal, municipal and First Nation partners, to ensure the sustainability of the sector during the outbreak.
