Sudbury drops daycare subsidies for higher income earners

Sudbury city councillors have approved a plan that will make sure lower income families get daycare subsidies.

The arrangement, which will see those who make more money bumped down the list, is expected to save the city about $190,000 a year.

During Monday night’s council meeting Coun. Joe Cimino said the families who will not longer receive subsidies might be better off financially, but it will still have an impact.

"With the price of gas and hydro and taxes and gas prices for your vehicles and [so on] this impacts those who might not be at the lower spectrum of need,” he said.

The plan — coupled with a reduction in the daycare subsidy each family can receive — makes up the $1 million the province cut from Sudbury's childcare funding earlier this year.

City staff said they have been warned the province is looking at making further cuts to Sudbury's childcare funding — possibly as much as $3.5 million.

"It's almost like being in a schoolyard and you're face to face with somebody that wants to fight and they're a foot taller and 300 pounds heavier,” Cimino said.

“It's like getting nailed in the face over and over again and we can't do anything except take the punches."

City council’s plan now puts a priority on giving subsidies to kids with special needs and whose parents make less than $20,000 a year.