Ontario party platforms

Below are links to Ontario party platforms for the 2018 provincial election. Excerpts are included from platforms that make explicit mention/commitment to child care. 

Ontario Liberal Party

The Liberal Party, led by Kathleen Wynne, has commitmented 2.2 billion over the next three years to expand child care spaces and provide free care for children aged two-and-a-half until full-day kindergarten. The Liberal government recently commissioned an affordability and workforce strategy.

Budget 2018 "Making preschool child care free for children aged two-and-a-half until they are eligible for full-day kindergarten. This saves a family with one child $17,000, on average, and families in cities like Toronto where child care costs are highest will save even more. This builds on the savings families are already seeing thanks to full-day kindergarten."

The Ontario New Democratic Party

The NDP, led by Andrea Horwath, have made a commitment to publicly fund only non-profit and public childcare. The platform highlights child care policy with a focus on affordability and the workforce.

$12-a-day child care
"Nothing’s more important than knowing your children have the best, safest care possible. But the cost of child care is priced far out of reach for too many Ontario parents.

Andrea Horwath and the NDP will make sure every family can access affordable, high-quality, not-for-profit child care, based on three key principles:

Child care must be affordable for everyone

Public child care dollars should go to not-for-profit and public providers — funds shouldn’t pad the profits of private companies

Early childhood educators deserve a fair wage that respects the vital work they do

If your household income is under $40,000, you won’t have to pay for public, licensed, not-for-profit child care. And if your household earns more, your fees will be based on ability to pay — with the average cost coming to $12 per day.

Over a first term, we will expand the number of not-for-profit, licensed, affordable child care spaces in Ontario by 202,000 spaces — a 51% increase, adding more than 10% every year."

Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario

As the Official Opposition in the outgoing Legislative Assembly of Ontario, the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario is now led by Doug Ford. The PC party has not yet released a complete formal platform. 

"In recognition of the high cost of childcare in Ontario, Doug Ford will introduce a new Ontario Childcare Rebate to pay up to 75% of a family’s childcare expenses, or up to $6,750 per child. This plan will cost the Government $389 million annually.

This fully refundable rebate will work on a sliding scale, covering 75% of childcare costs for low-income families, and gradually decline to 26% for families with an income of $150,000 or higher."

Green Party of Ontario

The Green Party, led Mike Schreiner, released their platform on May 14th, 2018. The party is hoping to receive their first seat in the Ontario legislature in the 2018 provincial election. The provincial platform proposes funding to support free child care for children under age three as part of their 'support women in the workplace' policy. (Under strategy D: Address social inequality and institutional discrimination)

"Phase in funding for a comprehensive program for early childhood education and care to support free daycare for working parents with children under age three, support for stay-at-home parents and additional ECE supports."