One of the more costly budget promises contained in Wednesday's Liberal budget is free daycare for preschoolers is part of a wider push to alleviate pressure in Ontario's childcare system -- a system that has been plagued with long waiting lists for spaces and fee subsidies.
The province has said it wants to spend $2.2 billion between now and 2020 to reduce fees for parents of 100,000 children across Ontario, ease the rate of increase in childcare fees and standardize wages for workers in childcare.
Provincial experts say that the overwhelming need for cost relief for families was for preschool age children.
But the province has not prepared for the possibility that parents with children in unlicensed daycares will try to move them to licensed ones when the child turns 2.5 years old, in order to take advantage of preschool being free.
The provincial government also does not keep track of how many children regularly use unlicensed daycare.
The move is said to save the average family with one eligible child about $17,000 per year. In Toronto, parents could save about $20,000.
In the City of Toronto alone, more than 14,000 families are waiting for a subsidized childcare space.
The preschool promise will be available to everyone, regardless of income.
Finance Minister Charles Sousa says his government decided to make it available even to parents with high incomes who could otherwise afford childcare, because it was important that it be universal.
PC leader Doug Ford would not say whether he would keep or scrap the preschool commitment, but he seemed to question its worth.
"They're promising money for children who aren't even born," he said. "I'm surprised the finance minister isn't up here promising free cars or that we'll pay your mortgage."
He also added that helping families with childcare was important to him.
"So when we have our budget out, we'll make sure we'll be helping families with daycare, helping the healthcare industry."
