Thousands of full-time support workers walked off the job at Ontario colleges on Thursday, and while classes are still running, the ripple effects are landing squarely on parents and graduating students. Childcare centres operated by colleges are among the first to close, leaving families scrambling. Jonathan Smith, who sends his two kids to Centennial College’s East York childcare centre, says he got a late-night heads-up that the strike could shutter the site—and by morning, it had. He’s now leaning on his retired parents while he and his wife search for a short-term home-based option. “We rely on daycare when we work full-time,” he said. “We’re not the main focus of this strike, but we’re being majorly affected and it’s very stressful.”
Centennial warned families on Aug. 28 that a strike would force temporary closures because centres wouldn’t meet Ministry of Education staff-to-child ratios. Parents won’t be charged fees during the stoppage, but Smith says the disruption to routine and relationships is the real cost. “They miss their teachers,” he said, adding that a quick daycare switch could be “kind of traumatic” for toddlers.
Graduates are also caught in the crossfire. Sheridan College has postponed all Fall Convocation ceremonies to Winter 2026, citing the key role support staff play in running the events. Sarah Davidson, a recent Early Childhood Education grad, was set to cross the stage in October—now she’s waiting months to collect the diploma she hoped to frame on her desk. “I was pretty annoyed and in shock,” she said, after learning of the delay via a 6 a.m. email that kept classes in session but asked for patience with student services.
The strike stems from a standoff between Ontario colleges and OPSEU over wages and job security. For now, instruction continues, but services from childcare to convocation are curtailed or paused. Colleges say they’ll keep students updated; parents are piecing together backup plans. As Smith put it: “When you work full-time, you can’t just stop working when your childcare is gone.”