Tragedies sparked update continued from p.37 ly, they offer more than 20,000 spaces, said Halton Director of Children's Services Mary Beth Jonz, who also supports the proposed bill. As it currently stands, the bill could slightly increase the number of licensed spaces available. It proposes upping the amount of children that licensed home childcare providers can care for from five to six. In Halton, this could equate to the addition of approximately 100 spaces. The proposed bill, which will serve as an update to the dated Day Nurseries Act, came about after several tragic situations in the GTA where children died in unregulated daycares. In one incident, a two-year-old died in a Vaughan home daycare that was caring for 27 children. Joint investigations While these fatal situations occurred outside of Halton, the local Children's Aid Society (CAS) has conducted investigations into home daycares in the region that are exceeding the current limits. "I've been involved in situations where they (the home daycare providers) had 10-15 kids. At that point, it's clear they're doing it for financial gains only. "That's where we would become involved," said Halton CAS Director of Protection Services Jennifer Binnington. "We do joint investigations with the ministry on those individual situations." Although there have only been a couple of these investigations recently, Binnington noted it's "surprisingly not that uncommon" for home daycare providers to exceed the government-stipulated limits on the number of children they care for. "Because people have flexibility in home daycares, the number can creep up easily," she said. She added the proposed bill "has the potential to really strengthen the childcare system" and bring clarity to the expectations of daycare providers. CICPO plans to hold a provincial day of action regarding the bill sometime after the legislature reconvenes next month. 41 | Thursday, September 25, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com $19.99 $29.99 $19.99 Welcome Fall! 15"FALL PLANTER TERRA CARE Thanksgiving hostess arrangements from $12.99 3 Gal. $39.99 Reg. $49.99 Leave the hard work to us, so you can do the fun part! See stores for details. CLEAN UP PACKAGE FALL FRESH $259.99 ONLY FALL MUMS 3 for $20 Reg. $8.99 50% off 40% off 50% off All Fall Tulip Bulbs All Cantilever Umbrellas All Wreaths, All Wood Benches 30% off 60% off 50% off All Flowering Shrubs All Summer Décor Select Ceramic Outdoor Pottery All Summer Crocs Select Patio Cushions Select Patio Furniture All Summer Jewelry All Evergreens, All Tools All Fountains & Water Treatment All Shade Trees All Summer Fertilizers All Irrigation (hoses, sprinklers) All Perennials All Bagged Garden Stone All Mulch Now proudly accepting American Express® Cards OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK: Monday - Sunday 9am - 6pm All items while quantities last, subject to availability. Category offers exclude "TERRA Essentials" Sale period: Sept. 25th - Oct. 1st www.terragreenhouses.com Burlington (905) 332-3222 · Milton (905) 876-4000 · Waterdown (905) 689-1999 ·Vaughan (905) 832-6955 NEW LOCATION - Hamilton - 340 Highway #20, RR#1 (3 minutes east of Upper Centennial) (905) 692-6900