Registration for Parent Summit in Toronto begins today

City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:

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News Release:  November 7, 2014                                          

Registration for Parent Summit in Toronto begins today

Toronto parents are invited to register to attend one of three Parent Summit sessions taking place on November 19 and 22. These sessions are an opportunity for parents to provide valuable feedback regarding their experiences with child care as well as to learn more about the child care system and available programs and services.

Dates and locations:

Wednesday, November 19: City Hall, 100 Queen St. W. 

Saturday, November 22: Etobicoke Civic Centre, 399 The West Mall

Saturday, November 22: Scarborough Civic Centre, 50 Borough Dr.  

The City Hall session on November 19 will include an information fair from 4 to 7 p.m. It is an opportunity for parents to talk to City and community representatives about important programs and services geared for children from infancy to age 12. The public consultation component of the November 19 Parent Summit will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The other two Parent Summit sessions

Saturday, November 22: Etobicoke Civic Centre from 10 a.m. to noon that day.

Saturday, November 22: Scarborough Civic Centre from 10 a.m. to noon that day.

Parents can register for a session online at http://www.toronto.ca/parentsummit or by calling 311 between today and November 18. Child care, translation and special accommodation can be arranged during registration. All parents of young children are invited to participate in the sessions whether or not they use licensed child care.

“The feedback from last year's Parent Summit is helping us develop the City of Toronto Children's Services' Service Plan and the new child care funding model,” said Elaine Baxter-Trahair, General Manager of City of Toronto Children's Services. “Families are, and always will be, our primary focus.”

“Access to quality care is vital to healthy child development and family well-being," said Martha Friendly, founder and Executive Director of the Childcare Resource and Research Unit. "The Parent Summit is an important opportunity for parents to share their experiences and concerns as they pertain to child care.”

The mission of Toronto Children's Services is to promote access to high quality early learning, child care and supports for families through a well-managed system.

This news release is also available on the City's website: http://bit.ly/1smQvXq

Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. Toronto is proud to be the Host City for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.

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Media contact: Aggie Fortier, Strategic Communications, 416-397-5326, afortie@toronto.ca