Of the many matters to address this coming term, I look forward to reviewing the policies framing the OCDSB’s before and after school programs.
The Chair of the OCDSB’s community advisory group on Extended Day and Daycare recently suggested in their year end report to Board (COW June 19th), that parents in OCDSB programs were little informed as to their kid’s time in care in part as the DSB is not subject to the Day Nurseries Act. Indeed some non-OCDSB care providers involve parents and also line staff reps on their boards. In any event, I’d like to see what we can do to open up OCDSB care programs and also to up the bar and have OCDSB programs meet all of the various standards of the Day Nurseries Act (including required play space, etc), just as private care providers must do.
As well, during budget debates earlier in the year, it became apparent as a result of Board-staff dialogue stemming from a delegation, that those Kindergarten classes in schools with OCDSB care programs benefit from full-time ECEs (early childhood educators) with a work day which includes both before or after care program time and also continued time with the children in aid of the teacher during the Kindergarten day as well. Kindergarten classes at schools without OCDSB care programs must make do with part-time ECE and also may be more vulnerable to absences. I’d like to understand this better and see what we can do here.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, OCDSB before and after school care programs tend not to be offered at schools in neighbourhoods with the most socio-economic need. This is well-known. Fundamentally, many of the parents at such schools simply can’t afford it. Giving a quality leg up to kids who most need it is crucial. I want to see what we can do here in terms of both provincial advocacy and creative ways of living up better to our goal of equity at the OCDSB.“