As the Ontario college support staff strike stretches into its third week, many parents are struggling to find alternative child-care arrangements after on-campus daycares were forced to close.
Roughly 10,000 full-time support staff walked off the job on September 11, following stalled negotiations between the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) and the College Employer Council (CEC). While college classes have largely continued, the strike has shut down numerous child-care centres operated on campuses, leaving parents scrambling.
Daycare Waitlists and Tough Choices
For Toronto teacher Aneisha Gooden, the strike meant an abrupt closure of the Centennial College child-care centre where her almost two-year-old daughter was enrolled. Overnight, she lost a spot that her daughter had spent weeks adjusting to.
Gooden immediately started calling daycares for a replacement but was met with a wall of waitlists. “They all said, ‘No, we’re sorry, there’s a waitlist. No, we don’t have space,’” she told CTV News Toronto.
After striking out at daycare centres and Montessori programs, she relied on family members to care for her daughter temporarily. Recently, she finally secured a spot at a home daycare close to her home. “Her prices were reasonable, but again, I need daycare to come back,” Gooden said.
Parents Lean on Family, Nannies, and Each Other
Other parents have turned to creative solutions.
Aamna Coskun, who enrolled her son at George Brown College’s Nelson Mandela Child Care Centre years in advance, rearranged her work schedule at first but eventually relied on grandparents and even considered her teenage niece for childcare.
She joined a WhatsApp group with other affected parents to coordinate playdates, exchange daycare leads, and find nannies together. “It was so sad to see all the parents just panicking. You’re playing Tetris with your life,” Coskun said.
By the third week, many parents in her group felt they could wait no longer. Coskun enrolled her son in another daycare—though in a room for older children—just to secure a spot. “The concept of the village has been really great, but it’s the most unfortunate time because it’s stressful,” she said.
Some Families Choosing to Wait It Out
For Kiran Kang, a lawyer and mother of twins enrolled at Sheridan College’s Trafalgar campus daycare, finding two new spots proved nearly impossible. She and her husband decided to “wait out the storm” while piecing together temporary care through flexible work schedules and community support.
Kang has also joined striking workers on the picket lines in solidarity. “I couldn’t imagine taking our kids out and putting them somewhere else. I want to continue to show support for the daycare staff that we are eagerly awaiting to return,” she said.
Colleges Respond as Strike Continues
George Brown College says its child-care programs, which serve around 400 children under age four, remain closed since they are exclusively staffed by striking full-time educators. The college has reached out to Toronto Children’s Services to explore interim options for families should the strike continue.
Centennial College also acknowledged it cannot operate its centres without unionized staff due to staffing ratio regulations. “We respect the right of our valued full-time support staff to collectively bargain, and we are hopeful for a fair and timely resolution,” the college said.
OPSEU has expressed sympathy for affected families, noting that many striking staff are also parents. “Every parent understands the difficulty of not having childcare available when they are trying to juggle work and other family responsibilities,” the union said in a statement.
The strike began after contract talks broke down on September 9. There is currently no clear timeline for when the two sides might return to the bargaining table.