Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Monday 28 May 2007
Question Period
Provincially Legislated Day Care Facilities

Ms. Lisa MacLeod (Nepean–Carleton): To the Minister of Children and Youth Services: Several months ago the Auditor General made us and you aware of the serious abuses in Ontario’s children’s aid societies. At the time, the minister was slow to act. You’ll also recall earlier this spring when the Ombudsman was called in to intervene on behalf of children and youth at the Phoenix Centre in Petawawa, to stand up on their behalf. Now we have further reports of the McGuinty government’s apathy towards the wellbeing and safety of Ontario’s children as outlined on the front page of today’s Toronto Star. It appears this apathy is becoming systemic and the pattern of behaviour.

Will the minister please tell this House when she was first aware of these repeated abuses in Ontario’s day cares, why she didn’t immediately stop the abuses and, finally, why was the information suppressed and why was it kept from Ontario’s parents for at least a year and a half?

Hon. Mary Anne V. Chambers (Minister of Children and Youth Services): There is no question that the health and wellbeing of children in our child care facilities are absolutely not to be compromised. So what I read in the Toronto Star today is unacceptable—it’s unacceptable—and I’m working with my ministry to ensure that all of these situations are investigated further and that we strengthen the steps we have already started to take to ensure that the licensing process and practices are in fact serving our children and their parents well.

The article also indicates that the overwhelming majority of centres are in fact meeting all standards. Over the last three years our government has hired more inspectors to monitor our child care facilities—in fact an 18% increase in inspectors since 2004. Over the—

The Speaker (Hon. Michael A. Brown): Thank you. Supplementary.

Ms. MacLeod: How can parents like me in this province who have children in daycare under the age of six be confident with this minister? She knew of problems identified to the Auditor General in 2005. She knew of the massive Toronto Star request for information made a year and a half ago.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Order. When a member is placing a question, that is the only member who is entitled to speak. I need to be able to hear the question.

Ms. MacLeod: The minister knew of the problems identified by the Auditor General in 2005. She knew of the massive Toronto Star request for information over a year and a half ago, and she knew of the update being given in the public accounts committee this past March. Yet it appears, yet again, she did nothing but deny and delay access to information. Why did she go to such lengths to prevent this information from getting out to the public and into the hands of parents with small children? She doesn’t think parents are entitled to it. Her answer simply to parents today: “File an information request if you want to find out about a daycare in the city of Toronto or anywhere else in the province of Ontario.”

Hon. Mrs. Chambers: Today there are 57 provisional licences in place and this is across 4,450 child care centres in this province. I take very seriously the allegations revealed in the Toronto Star article. My ministry takes very seriously the allegations revealed in the Toronto Star article. We have actually been conducting unannounced inspections in addition to the annual reviews that we conduct of every single licensed centre.

We know that we can always do more and we will do more. But right now, every single one of those centres that has a provisional licence has that information posted and is required to provide parents with information to that effect.