Parent groups in Ontario and South Korea are advocating for increased funding for after-school programs due to the rising cost of living and the high demand for child care. In Ontario, families are facing long waitlists and struggling to find accessible and affordable care options. Advocacy groups Moms at Work and Moms Together are calling on the government to invest more money into Ontario's After School Program, which has seen funding remain stagnant since 2009. Parents are requesting that all program costs be covered, as the current funding only supports less than 25% of the costs. The province has increased investment by $1.1 million this school year and supports hundreds of sites, but parent advocates argue that more funding is needed to address the rising costs of rent, wages, and meals. The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport provides funding to non-profit organizations to run after-school programs, but BGC Canada, formerly Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, states that there is a need for serious conversations about the future of childcare in Ontario. The ministry has invested $67.5 million in Ontario's After School Program since 2018 and is reviewing the program to ensure its effectiveness and reach in high-priority neighborhoods across the province. [bee0612a]
In South Korea, about 2,700 elementary schools, or 44% of elementary schools nationwide, have applied for the government's after-school programs for the spring semester. The after-school child care program provides various education and care programs. The education offices of 15 cities and provinces have unveiled schools participating in the program, with Gyeonggi and South Gyeongsang Province planning to announce on Monday. All elementary schools in Busan and South Jeolla Province will operate the after-school programs in the spring semester. The ministry plans to expand the program to about 2,000 elementary schools in the first half of this year and every elementary school in the nation by the second half. The goal is to expand to all elementary students who wish to take part in the program by the year 2026. Education Minister Lee Jo-ho stated that the ministry, education offices, local municipalities, and colleges will provide necessary assistance to ensure the smooth operation of the programs. [f27024f3]
In Surrey, British Columbia, a single mother is staging a one-woman protest outside her son's elementary school, claiming that she faces homelessness if she doesn't get before and after school child care. The mother is demanding affordable and accessible child care options to support working parents. This protest highlights the desperate situation faced by many families who are struggling to find child care solutions that meet their needs. [1e14b61d]