The province has laid out plans to reopen child-care centres across Ontario on Friday. Premier Doug Ford made the announcement today.
While the centres can reopen they will have to operate under stricter measures. Those include a limit of ten people inside the centre at one time, more screening for symptoms and centres must be cleaned before opening and after the day is over. Toys that can spread germs will be removed from the centres and visitors will not be allowed. Ford said, “We will take every measure to keep children and staff safe.”
In-home operators will also be able to open under stricter health measures.
The penalty for not following the new guidelines will be $1,000 per child, per day.
If parents decide not to send children back into a daycare space, the government has ensured that they can’t lose their space or be charged when children aren’t there.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce says they do believe there will be enough capacity to provide care for every child that needs it because they know not everyone will send their children back into centres.
Ford added that more information about summer day camps and what publicly funded schools will look like in September will be coming in the next few weeks.
