May 5, 2021 – Kids First submitted this correction (PDF) to two different articles in the Toronto Star regarding incorrect statements that:
1. Leading daycare lobbyist, Martha Friendly’s lobby group, the Childcare Resource and Reference Unity, is at the University of Toronto. (article here)
IN FACT: In 2007 the University of Toronto stopped housing the CRRU. The CRRU did not “leave” voluntarily. Ms Friendly and her lobby group have long been misrepresented to government and media as part of the University of Toronto, giving their publications and false claims the air of academic credibility. In 2006 Kids First successfully demanded an end to federal funding of daycare lobby groups including the CRRU that promote sexist discrimination against parental child care.
NOTE: Martha Friendly and her CRRU did not choose to leave U of T, she was told to leave. Martha Friendly was not happy about it.
2. “According to 2020 data from StatsCanada, 36 per cent of parents with kids up to age five
experienced difficulty finding child care. Of that number, 53 per cent reported having trouble
finding care in their own community, while 48 per cent said the challenge was affordability.
Advocates argue you can’t “choose” what isn’t available or what you can’t afford.” (article here)
IN FACT:
According to 2020 data from StatsCanada, 36 per cent of parents with kids in [any type or
amount of non-parental, which StatsCanada says is 60%] child care experienced difficulty finding [non-parental] child care, not 36% of kids under the age of five. It is 36% of 60% so this is only 22%. See KF corrections PDF for more details.
Correction On Toronto Star
“The Childcare Resource and Research Unit is a non-profit, non-partisan policy research organization working to the goal of a publicly funded child care system in Canada. An April 20 article on reaction to the federal Liberals’ budget child care pledge misstated that the organization was associated with the University of Toronto. It left the university in 2007.”
Toronto Star
Original articles and correction post details/archive copies below:
April 20, 2021. Tonda MacCharles. Toronto Star – (web article): “Conservatives and Quebec cool to Liberals’ ambitious child-care plan“
- See KF PDF reference copy here
April 30, 2021. Alex Boutilier. Toronto Star – (web article): “Stephen Harper won an election while arguing against a national child-care plan. Can Erin O’Toole do the same?“
May 6, 2021 – Toronto Star – Partial Correction Printed
- See KF PDF reference copy here
kidsfirstcanada.org 