MAPLETON – Drayton parents can breathe a little easier knowing they’ll continue to have a local childcare option next year.
Anxiety was running high for some after news spread about a recommendation to council that would “direct staff to cease operating a before- and after-school program at Drayton Heights Public School at the end of the 2025-26 school year.”
The recommendation was part of a notice of motion from Mayor Gregg Davidson, who said his intention was not to cancel the program, but for a private provider to take it off the township’s hands.
Concerned parents contacted township staff and councillors to ask about the program’s future, but officials could only say the motion would come before council on Oct. 14.
Councillor Amanda Reid told the Advertiser she found out about the mayor’s motion the same way the public did – she read it in a September council meeting agenda.
When she asked Davidson for more information, Reid said the mayor told her “he had spoken to providers that were interested.”
However, he didn’t specify which providers, and said she should wait for the October meeting for details, Reid added.
She said it is “mind boggling” Davidson introduced the motion without offering any information to councillors or staff.
At the Oct. 14 meeting, Davidson said he had discussed the motion with CAO Manny Baron before bringing it to council.
But Baron interrupted him, with a finger in the air, and said “no,” adding they had talked about childcare, not the motion.
Baron said it was a “tough month” with concerned parents and school board representatives calling about the mayor’s motion while staff had “literally zero information … to have an educated conversation.”
Some parents, along with former mayor Neil Driscoll, delegated to council on Oct. 14, and many more filled the council chamber.
Driscoll said he felt he should speak up on behalf of affected families.
Davidson campaigned on the township-run childcare program, Driscoll said, asking why the mayor is “in such a rush to cease operations.
“It seems to be working very well. It only costs us $30,000 and there’s a waiting list of 22.”
Driscoll opined the priority will shift from meeting residents’ needs to making money if a private provider takes over the program.
Resident Stephanie Drost said she was shocked when she heard her children’s childcare program might end.
And when she called township staff, they were “just as surprised” as her.
“How can the township staff support council if they are kept in the dark?” she asked while delegating to council.
“Why weren’t township staff consulted? Why weren’t councillors provided information to address residents’ concerns?”
Resident Nicole Shields, who said the township’s childcare program was part of the reason she decided to move to the area, expressed “deep concerns” about the motion to end the program.
She said she wished the matter was handled differently, instead of a “quick decision made by council” that residents “all found out [about] the wrong way – word of mouth.”
Shields was not alone in thinking council had decided to cut the childcare program, but that’s not what happened.
Davidson brought forward a notice of motion, and council’s first chance to consider it was during the Oct. 14 meeting.
Council didn’t end up making a decision at all, because Davidson withdrew the motion at the meeting.
He thanked parents and grandparents for their advocacy and said “your voices were heard.”
Looking at parents in the gallery he said, “It’s obvious you’re very passionate about liking what we’ve put together over the years.”
Withdrawing the motion shouldn’t bring discussion to a halt, Reid said, as parents and councillors still had questions.
She asked Davison what authority he had to speak to childcare providers without council approval.
Davidson said he, like any councillor, could have discussions with people outside council.
After a heated back and forth between Davidson and Reid about what could and could not be discussed without council approval, Reid suggested council move into a closed session to continue the conversation.
Councillor Michael Martin said, “I don’t think we should be afraid of having a colourful and candid adult conversation in public.
“I hate the perception of things getting colourful and then we dive into closed session.”
Council held a vote to move into closed session but Reid was the sole vote in favour, so the meeting remained open.
Reid then said her main issue with Davidson’s notice of motion is that people thought it came from council because there was no name on it.
“It was definitely not something that I was in favour of at all and … I did not like that … I was dragged into this motion,” she said.
Reid noted she received about 20 calls and emails from families concerned about the motion, and she thanked them for their advocacy.
“There is nothing more fierce than a parent whose childcare is on the line … and it was very healthy to see this,” she said.
Martin said he thinks there needs to be a realistic conversation about the childcare program and who pays for it.
It was first introduced as a cost-neutral program, he added, but “it’s not – it’s subsidized by the taxpayer.”
Reid later told the Advertiser she thought the sensitive topic might be best addressed in closed session, but in hindsight she’s happy that didn’t happen, as transparency is “absolutely what we needed.”
Davidson was not immediately available for a follow-up interview.
