PROVINCE OFFERS PARENTS SUPPORT FOR ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL CARE

PARRY SOUND-MUSKOKA — Parents stuck with added alternative care costs due to school labour disruptions can apply for funding assistance.

According to MPP Norm Miller, the province has launched its “Support for Parents” initiative to help families pay for those unexpected childcare costs.

In a statement Wednesday, following the latest employee job action that has affected thousands of families who attend Trillium Lakelands District School Board classes, Miller said: “Parents in Parry Sound-Muskoka are frustrated by teacher union escalation.

“It is unacceptable that union leaders would ramp up strike action and make families across the province scramble for childcare.

“We recognize that the impact of union escalation on families is real. That’s why our government launched its Support for Parents initiative to help families pay unexpected childcare costs.”

Miller said the “immense uptake of our Support for Parents initiative speaks volumes to the level of uncertainty union-led strike action causes.

“Our government will continue to focus on reaching voluntary agreements with the teachers’ unions, so Ontario students stay in class where they belong.”

More information on the Support for Parents initiative can be found at http://ontario.ca/supportforparents or by calling 1-888-444-3770.

As of today, Jan. 21, Miller said the government had received 171,552 applications.

A statement, also today, from the TLDSB notes that:

“Due to the ongoing provincial labour disruption by the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF), there are some job action items that will affect Trillium Lakelands District School Board students and their families.

• Elementary students will not receive term one report cards.
• Teachers will be providing marks to the principal without any comments. However, these marks will not be entered into report cards at this time.
• Parents and guardians may contact their child’s teacher if they have questions about academic achievement and well-being.
• Secondary students will receive term one report cards containing marks but no comments. Parents and guardians may contact teachers if they have questions about academic achievement and well-being.
• Parents of students with an IEPs (Individual education plans) can contact their child’s school for an update on progress related to the goals contained in the IEP.
• Elementary field trips have been cancelled.
• Extra curricular activities within elementary schools during the school day may continue.
• Secondary teachers will not be replacing other teachers who need to be absent from the school due to illness or other reasons.
• The school board may not have sufficient secondary supply teachers to provide adequate coverage for teacher absences.
• For this reason, if a teacher is absent, extra curricular activities such as sporting events and field trips, may be cancelled on the day(s) the teacher is away.