Thank you, Chair.
The issue of child care is definitely one of the key drivers of lack of affordability. We know that in Toronto it was about $1,000 a month per child. That just drove families out of the city.
The change to $10, I think, is dramatic. I think it's very progressive. The problem is that it's not addressing other elements of inequality and affordability, particularly for the people working in the sector.
I see two problems here. Since the $10 announcement was made, the wait times have just gone through the roof. Niagara region is up 76%. Prior to 2022, Kawartha Lakes had a 3.7-year wait to be on the list for a child. Now it's over 6.4 years, which means those children are going to be out of the system by that time.
What steps are you taking to deal with this massive backlog that we're seeing in our communities?