Sudbury daycares left out of new Ontario funding, city official claims

Sudbury's municipal daycare manager says if the province is investing in more childcare — it's not in Sudbury.

The government is trying to reassure critics of its new childcare legislation that there will be room for all. But with a new limit of five children per unlicensed daycare, some say it will force hundreds in Sudbury to look for new spots.

• Unlicenced daycare rules 'barely' enforced, report warns
• Sudbury city council wants out of daycare business

Education Minister Liz Sandals said families looking for new daycare arrangements because of the new law will have options, as the province has invested in thousands of new licensed daycare spots across Ontario — up to 70,000 within five years.

She also said there are 265,000 new spots now that four and five-year-olds are in full-day kindergarten.

The province has invested heavily in the system over 10 years, she noted.

“It's over $1 billion now, so we have actually doubled the funding for childcare in Ontario.”

But the manager of children services with the city, Tyler Campbell, hasn’t seen it.

“Unfortunately, in Greater Sudbury's case, we haven't seen those new dollars or new investments.”

Campbell said the province cut his budget by $2 million last year, and is considering a future cut of $3 million.

That is forcing the city run daycare to close, he said. The city will instead contract the job to three non-profit groups.     

The move will make the budget stretch farther, and offer a place for a few of those families displaced from unlicensed daycares.