Effects on Families
- Child care fees increased from 15 to 30 percent and some programs are about to close (Coalition for Better Child Care, 2011).
- Families with younger children have to pay more to keep the child care programs running (Mccaffrey, n.d., Full-Day Kindergarten: A Boost for Children Living in Poverty).
- Low income families have to pay $50 to $60 per day for infant or toddler space in childcare, which force them to leave their jobs because they can’t afford it.
- Single parent families facing challenges such as poverty and depression (Ontario Ministry of Education, n.d.).
Effects on Children
- Program may become too academic with teachers working on basic skills with children who are not ready.
- Students get tired and worn out from all-day work.
- Teaching structure needs to be altered to fit with all-day schedule (Lincoln Home Page, n.d.).
- Full Day Learning, “Bill 242 does not include services for deaf and hard-of-hearing children in provincial schools (Malkowski, 2010).
Effects on Early Care Settings
- Many child care programs have been closed across the province and many are on the edge of closing.
- 654 children from 64 care settings left early child care centers and entered the full day kindergarten program that results reduction in income.
- Eight centres had to lay off ECEs (Surveys: Impact of Full-Day Kindergarten on Childcare in Peel, n.d.).
- Many child care centres had to increase their program fees due to kindergarten classroom closures, which resulted in younger children leaving the settings (Ontario Ministry of Education, n.d.).