Ontario seeks municipal daycare audits, raising cost-cutting concerns Ontario seeks municipal daycare audits, raising cost-cutting concerns Ontario seeks municipal daycare audits, raising cost-cutting concerns Ontario seeks municipal daycare audits, raising cost-cutting concerns Ontario seeks municipal daycare audits, raising cost-cutting concerns Ontario seeks municipal daycare audits, raising cost-cutting concerns Ontario seeks municipal daycare audits, raising cost-cutting concerns Ontario seeks municipal daycare audits, raising cost-cutting concerns Ontario seeks municipal daycare audits, raising cost-cutting concerns Ontario seeks municipal daycare audits, raising cost-cutting concerns

Ontario has ordered municipalities that directly operate child-care centres to do a value-for-money audit to determine if they could instead be operated by a 'third party.'

Ontario has ordered municipalities that directly operate child-care centres to do a value-for-money audit of their programs to determine if they could instead be operated by a “third party,” raising concerns about privatization.

The move also has some advocates concerned the provincial government is looking to find savings on the backs of early childhood educators, as higher staff pay in municipal centres is often the reason they can cost more to run.

Ministry of Education funding guidelines sent to licensed child-care operators late last year say municipal child-care administrators should have the independent audits completed by the end of 2024.

“The purpose of the value for money audit is to determine whether provincial funding is being used efficiently and effectively by directly operated centres, and whether the child care services could be offered by a third party provider instead,” the ministry wrote.

Funding from the federal $10-a-day program or regular provincial administration funding can be used to pay for the audits, the ministry wrote.

The ministry has also told municipalities that it is cutting administration funding. Ontario is the only province with a mandated role for municipalities in delivering child care and funding for that administration has until now come entirely from the province.

The government announced in 2019 that it was asking municipalities to contribute 20 per cent of the cost of creating spaces, where the province had previously contributed all of it. The province also said administration funding would be split 50-50 going forward, but has since provided $220 million in transitional funding that is now expiring.

The Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care says that will amount to a cut of $85.5 million.