TORONTO – Wellington County parents in need of childcare due to strike action closing schools are eligible for a financial boost from the government.
On Jan. 15, the fifth day of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation’s (OSSTF) rotating one-day strikes, education minister Stephen Lecce announced the parents of students up to Grade 7 and students with special needs up to Grade 12 could be eligible for childcare funding.
“We recognize the impact of union escalation on families is real, and unions expect hard-working families to bear the costs of their cyclical labour action,” Lecce said in a press release.
As labour action escalates, a full withdrawal of services would require parents to make alternative arrangements for childcare every day of the strike action.
Additionally, full-day childcare providers located in schools may close during strike action.
However, the government has announced that during a strike, licensed child care programs will be allowed to extend their hours, request a temporary location to avoid disruptions and request an increase in the number of children they are licensed to support.
The government is also intending to allow day camps to open to school-aged children without counting against their operating limit (13 weeks per year) in the event of a full withdrawal of services.
Parent funding
During strike action, eligible parents are entitled to:
– $60 per day for children up to six years of age who are not yet enrolled in school but attend a school-based child care centre that is required to close on account of the strike;
– $40 per day for students in junior kindergarten (JK) and senior kindergarten (SK);
– $25 per day for students in Grades 1 through 7; and
– $40 total per day for students from JK to Grade 12 with special needs.
Funding is retroactive to cover costs of any school closures over the 2019-20 labour negotiations.
For more information visit Ontario.ca/SupportForParents or call the Support for Parents Helpline at 888-444-3770.
This announcement came on the same day that unions representing education workers announced further strike action.
OSSTF
In the midst of a one-day rotating strike on Jan. 15 the Ontario Secondary School Teacher’s Federation (OSSTF) announced its sixth one-day full withdrawal of services on Jan. 21.
OSSTF president Harvey Bischof announced that this woudl be the last walkout until after the secondary school exam period.
ETFO
The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) also announced an escalation to one-day rotating strike action on Jan. 15.
The first ETFO strike occurred on Jan. 20, continuing each day this week until Jan. 24.
Wellington County schools were not included in any of those strike days.
OECTA
The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) held a one-day province-wide strike on Jan. 21.
No other strike dates have been announced by the union representing Catholic educators.
