John Baird

February 1, 2002

Honourable John Baird

Minister of Community and Social Services

With Responsibility for Children

80 Grosvenor Street, 6^th Floor

Hepburn Block, Queens Park

Toronto, Ontario M7A 1E9

Dear Minister Baird:

I am a taxpayer, voter, and parent of a child who attends Bells Corners Cooperative Nursery School. As you may be aware, this is a private not for profit organization operated by a volunteer board of members, which offers quality programming for children aged two to four. It is a fully integrated school that provides hands on learning experiences and prepares children, both socially and developmentally, for their future years. This nursery school strives to keep tuition at an accessible rate for the entire community through arduous fundraising activities. Its goal is, in effect, the same as one of your government’s stated top priorities, i.e. "the healthy development and well-being of children, including strengthening their readiness to learn." Tony Clement, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care has said, "we recognize that children's early years set the foundation for lifelong health, well-being and learning." Yet it is my understanding that your government is considering the reduction of current subsidy and wage enhancement grants. Any reduction in current funding levels will adversely affect our nursery school, as well as many others, in the following ways:

It will create a two-tier system, where families that are currently subsidized will not be able to afford these enriching experiences for their children;
It will result in the eventual demise of private nursery schools affordable to the majority of Ontarians due to tuition rates that are prohibitive to most families;
Nursery schools will suffer the loss of dedicated, quality child care educators, whose earnings are already so pitiable that one can only assume, perform this work solely out of their love for children.

As the Minister Responsible for Children, you play a key role as the government advocate and ‘voice’ for Ontario’s children; you are also the leader of The Children’s Secretariat, who’s role it is to help parents, communities, and professionals serving children learn about the importance of investing in children’s early years. Surely you understand the importance of nursery schools like ours in the community framework. I urge you to demonstrate your government’s commitment to ensuring that Ontario’s youngest children get the best start in life to build a brighter future by guaranteeing that the childcare budget remains secure.

I invite you to visit my child’s nursery school so that you can witness first hand how important this experience is in a child’s formative years.

Sincerely,

c.c. Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, ([email protected])

Child Care Resource and Research Unit, (mailto:[email protected])

Ottawa Valley Co-operative Preschool Association

Alex Munter, Chair, Recreation and Social Services Committee, City of Ottawa (mailto:[email protected])

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