Even if a petition with almost 6,000 signatures doesn't convince the Wynne government to reverse changes to child care regulations, a private members' bill isn't out of the question.
The review period for the changes wrapped up on Friday, and Windsor West MPP Lisa Gretzky is ready to present the petition to the Ontario Legislature.
She says it's incredible so many parents and child care professionals are speaking out against the changes, among the most contentious of which: placing 12-month-old infants into toddler rooms and rejigging the ratio of staff to children.
"In three weeks, to collect nearly 6,000 signatures from across the province; that's quite impressive," says Gretzky. "Often petitions don't pick up steam like this one has."
Gretzky says changing those ratios could also decrease the number of available day care spaces at not-for-profit centres. She says some centres may not be able to afford renovations needed to accommodate the new regulations.
While a petition puts pressure on the government, it's not legally binding, but Gretzky says a private members' bill would be.
"I was asked yesterday if these regulation changes go through -- can they change their mind after the fact. And the answer is yes," she says. "If somebody [an MPP] were to use their spot to do a private members' bill and it was to pass in the House, then that would push the government, and they would have to follow the bill. It would then become law."