QUEEN’S PARK — Ontario NDP MPP Lisa Gretzky (Windsor West) and the Shadow Minister for Children, Community and Social Services is standing with frontline workers in developmental services, child protection, children’s treatment centres, and social services who are demanding fair pay and real investment in the vital care they provide to Ontario’s most vulnerable.
“Frontline workers have had enough of being ignored, underpaid, and stretched beyond their limits,” said Gretzky. “They’re the backbone of their communities by supporting children with complex needs and families in crisis, yet they’re being forced to turn to food banks or, in some cases, live in shelters. That’s beyond shameful.”
These sectors, which are predominantly women-led, were devastated by Doug Ford’s unconstitutional Bill 124, which suppressed wages and deepened chronic underfunding. Many agencies remain critically understaffed, leaving workers burnt out and vulnerable children without proper care or safe housing.
“Because of this government’s neglect, vulnerable children, many with complex needs, are being left to live in offices and hotels because there’s nowhere else for them to go,” said Gretzky. “Meanwhile, the Premier is handing out lucrative contracts to private operators while starving public agencies of the funding they need to survive.”
Gretzky is calling on the Ford government to invest in Ontario’s publicly funded care system instead of paving the way for privatization.
“Every single child deserves to be cared for in dignity, and every single worker deserves to earn a living wage. The government’s job is to strengthen public services… not dismantle them,” said Gretzky. “It’s time for the Premier to stop attacking women-led sectors and start investing in the people who make our communities strong.”