Childcare Critical to Women’s Labour Market Participation

(Toronto – March 28, 2022) – Today, the Governments of Ontario and Canada reached a childcare agreement. This is important for businesses and something the Ontario Chamber of Commerce has repeatedly called for. At a time when labour shortages are having a significant impact on businesses, this is a watershed moment for women, families, and the economy.

As outlined in our report, The She-Covery Project: Confronting the Gendered Economic Impacts of COVID-19 in Ontario, women’s participation in the labour market is a precondition to our economic recovery and future prosperity. While childcare had been a challenge for Ontario families long before the pandemic, the crisis had disproportionate impacts on women who took on most of the unpaid care that became necessary as schools and daycares closed.

The impacts were exacerbated for women with intersecting identities such as racialized women, Indigenous women, single mothers, low-income women, immigrant women, and those living in rural areas. Accessible and affordable childcare will take us closer to an inclusive economic recovery.

“To make this agreement viable, it is essential that Ontario’s childcare sector has an adequate supply of qualified workers,” said Claudia Dessanti, Senior Policy Manager of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. “This will require recognizing foreign credentials, enhancing online training, fast-tracking in-school credentials, and developing financial support for underemployed populations to access training opportunities.”

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce looks forward to working with the Governments of Ontario and Canada on this and other matters important to Ontario business.

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About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce

For more than a century, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has been the independent, non-partisan, indispensable partner of Ontario business. The OCC’s mission is to support economic growth in Ontario by defending business priorities at Queen’s Park on behalf of its network’s diverse 60,000 members.

For more information, please contact:
Alissa Reid
Coordinator, Public Affairs
alissareid@occ.ca | Mobile: (705) 205-1434