Childcare: Summer Shouldn’t Break the Family Budget

Every summer, I’m reminded of how quickly a family’s routine can change once school is out. For parents who still have to work, those weeks can mean scrambling to find activities and childcare that are both safe and affordable. Summer should be something families look forward to, not another major expense to plan around.

Mississauga already has a program that can help. Play in the Park provides free, supervised outdoor play for children aged 6 to 12 during July and August.
But we can do more to make this program work for more families.

As Mayor, I will expand Play in the Park from a half-day to a full-day program and offer it at more parks across Mississauga. This will give more families access to free, supervised summer programming while helping reduce the cost of childcare.

Expanding the program will also create approximately 50 new summer jobs for high school and postsecondary students to work as camp leaders. That means we can help families with childcare costs while giving young people valuable summer employment experience.

For families balancing work, childcare and the cost of everyday life, every bit of savings matters. Free, full-day programming can make a real difference in what families have to budget for during the summer.

We already have parks and programs across Mississauga that can help support families. We should be making better use of them and expanding access to the families who need them.

As Mayor, I will expand Play in the Park so more children can enjoy their summer, more families can save on childcare costs, and more young people can find meaningful summer employment.