Child safety depends on oversight of unlicensed daycares: NDP

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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QUEEN’S PARK – NDP Children and Youth Services Critic Monique Taylor says the Liberal government’s lack of oversight of unlicensed daycares is endangering thousands of Ontario children.

“Unlicensed daycare inspections in Ontario have revealed a troubling number of violations: children sleeping in damp, airless rooms in soggy bedding or sitting in broken, unsanitary high chairs,” said Taylor during this morning’s question period. “What’s worse, on November 13, there was another reported death of a nine-month-old toddler in an unlicensed daycare in Markham. This death, along with the death of Eva Ravikovich in Vaughan this year and the others before her, calls into question the policy this government is following in regard to unlicensed daycares.”

Taylor says the government cannot rely on infrequent inspections of unlicensed daycares as the only form of oversight. Under current regulations, Ministry of Education staff only inspect unlicensed daycares after a complaint.

“There were 300 complaints to the ministry about unlicensed child care in the year before two-year-old Eva Ravikovich died in an illegal home daycare that was found to be filthy and overcrowded in Vaughan last July,” explained Taylor. “You admitted that your ministry had not followed up on all complaints and now, while the Ombudsman is conducting an investigation into these serious allegations—another death of an innocent child.”

Taylor said the glaring lack of oversight must be addressed immediately.

“Inspecting only when there’s complaint is too late and is resulting in tragic deaths,” said Taylor. “The time to act is now. The Education Minister should do the right thing and bring oversight to unlicensed daycares in Ontario instead of ignoring complaints.”