Some parents call on city for transparency on municipal daycare plans

As city staff conduct a review of Ottawa's municipal daycare system, some parents are calling for more transparency from the city about its plans for the child carecentres.

In April the city's community and protective services committee directed city staff to review the 12 daycares and whether they're still serving their communities as originally intended.

The review will also take a look at Ontario's new Child Care and Early Years Act, which will take effect on Aug. 31 and replace the decades-old Day Nurseries Act.

City Coun. Mathieu Fleury said the city has to wait until the new act takes effect, and for the province to unveil its regulations, to decide whether to continue operating daycares or stop running them.

The review is expected later this year.

'Staff are reviewing all options'

"Staff are reviewing all options and we have to wait," he said.

"It's too early to tell. I think we're months ahead. ... We'll look at all options but it's really too early to say."

tienne Trpanier, whose child attendedthe Francophone Beausoleil daycare in Lowertown, said he suspects the parents of hundreds of children in other city-run daycares don'tknow the review is happening.

"I think all parents who have children in the City of Ottawa [daycares], even those who are not yet in daycares who are on the waiting list ... should care about this issue and think about whether or not it's important to have child care services delivered by the city ... and make their voice heard at city hall," he said.

"Otherwise this will happen behind closed doors and I'm afraid that those who are most concerned about the issue won't [get a word in about] any of this."

The Beausoleil daycare is closing temporarily in four days as the community housing building it's housed in is renovated.

Trpanier said that while the city maintains it's a temporary closure, he suspects service won't continue.

"I think parents should beware of what could happen and just start getting interested in this issue to make sure that municipal service that is important for us families be maintained and run as promised by the city," he said.

Have your say

• Vote here on whether the city should continue to run daycares in Ottawa.