NDP MPP Teresa Armstrong introduces legislation to convene a childcare worker’s task force

QUEEN’S PARK – MPP Teresa Armstrong (London Fanshawe) brought forward legislation today that would create an advisory committee solely dedicated to supporting workers in the childcare sector.

“Parents want accessible and affordable childcare,” said Armstrong. “Providing childcare workers with the support they need will go a long way to solving our critical retention and recruitment problem. This task force will help make their concerns and voices heard.”

Armstrong’s legislation would create a dedicated advisory committee that would immediately get to work on addressing some of the biggest challenges facing workers in the sector, including:

• Increased wages
• Minimum work standards
• Career advancement opportunities,
• Recruitment strategies
• Immigration considerations
• Enhanced collective bargaining.

“This government has been failing families and service providers for far too long,” said Armstrong. “We need a real plan and a real strategy to ensure families have childcare they can rely on, because a chronically underfunded childcare sector is simply inexcusable.

“This committee is an important step towards a better future for the hard-working ECEs and RECEs in this province who are caring for the next generation,” said Armstrong. “I call on all parties to immediately pass this bill and let this committee get to work”.