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Independent home daycare providers calling for changes to Bill 10 by Melanie Hennessey Metroland West Media 15 | Friday, October 31, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Independent home daycare providers in Halton are calling for changes to a proposed provincial bill that would force them to reduce the number of children they care for -- a move they say could leave them with no choice but to raise prices or close their doors. The Child Care Modernization Act, or Bill 10, will be back on the agenda at Queen's Park as the legislature reconvened this month. The proposed bill aims to improve the safety and well-being of children in daycare settings through measures such as harsher penalties for those who don't comply and the ability to immediately shut down a provider who's operating in an unsafe manner. But the potential legislation would also require unlicensed -- or independent -- home daycare providers to start counting their own kids under the age of six as part of the maximum five children they're allowed to look after. They would also only be able to take on two children who are two years old or younger. Those restrictions could dramatically reduce the number of childcare spaces in Halton, according to local home daycare provider Tracy Skelton, who's also a representative of the Coalition of Independent Childcare Providers of Ontario (CICPO) and Halton Child Care Providers Association, Oakville chapter. CICPO held a provincial day of action, and staged a peaceful protest outside Oakville Town Hall, Sunday, Oct. 26, just after the legislature reconvened. "We can all agree that we want children to be safe and that some changes need to be made. But we think this bill is going to create a childcare crisis," she said. "It will dramatically cut the number of affordable childcare spaces in the province, forcing parents to turn to large daycare centres that often lack individualized attention." She said she believes the act would A peaceful protest took place outside of Oakville Town Hall Sunday, Oct. 26 to boost public awareness on the effects Bill 10 will have on childcare availability across the province. | photo by Justin Greaves ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) have a disproportionate impact on working women, especially those with low incomes, who would have difficulty finding and paying for child care. "The act will force out of business many of the home childcare providers that currently care for about 80 per cent of Ontario's children," she believes. According to CICPO, there are currently 70,000 independent daycare providers who care for 350,000 children across the province. With each provider facing an average potential reduction of two spots, the proposed bill could bring about the loss of 140,000 spots in Ontario, said CICPO co-founder Heidi Higgins. "This bill's exclusion of the tens of thousands of independent professional caregivers caring for the majority of Ontario's children is both short-sighted and detrimental to the well-being of our children," Higgins believes. Skelton has brought the group's see Rules on p.16 New Mystic Tan Hd HD * SPRAY TANS $20 Offer expires November 30, 2014. Must bring in this ad. Laser DentaL Whitening * FREE * www.TanWild.com 511 Maple Grove Drive, Oakville 905.338.2700 voTed #1 SAloN # for every new patient exam, cleaning & X-rays. Available Hours: Mon. - Fri. 7am - Midnight · Saturday 10am - 4pm We speak Portuguese, spanish, French, Polish, Urdu Direct insurance billing Dr. Marcelina benedito D.M.D., Emergency, Cosmetic & Family Dentistry Dr. Herman comlekci D.M.D., special interest in Dental Implantology www.toothfairydentistry.ca 487 Cornwall Rd., Unit 5E., Oakville · 905-844-tale (8253) Come and visit us - Imagine what Fern Hill can do for your child Fern Hill School, an independent co-educational school for students in Preschool to Grade 8, is regarded as one of the pre-eminent elementary schools in Canada. Exceptional academics · Personalized and enriched curriculum · Secure facilities · French from PS - Grade 8 · Small class sizes · Passionate subject-specific teachers · Outstanding visual arts, band and vocal music · Athletics and outdoor education · Mandarin Language study Opportunity for Math and French secondary school credits UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES Oakville Campus | 3300 Ninth Line Road Oakville, ON | 905.257.0022 · Burlington Campus | 801 North Service Road Burlington, ON | 905.634.8652 admissions@fernhillschool.com | www.fernhillschool.com