Ontario’s Liberal government says it plans to offer free child care for thousands of preschoolers across the province starting in 2020, a promise that comes as it faces a looming spring election.

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Finding daycare in Ontario is about to get much hardPremier Kathleen Wynne, Finance Minister Charles Sousa and Education Minister Indira Naidoo-Harris unveiled the $2.2-billion dollar initiative on Tuesday at a school in Toronto.
The new program sees the government pledging to fund the cost of full-day, licensed child care starting once children turn two-and-a-half. The funding would cover their care costs until they become eligible for full-day kindergarten. In Ontario, kids are eligible for junior kindergarten in the calendar year they turn four, and senior kindergarten the year they turn five.
Wynne said the announcement, made the day before the government tables its final budget ahead of the June election, is estimated to save families $17,000 a year.
“I know how stressful it can be for parents with young children. When my three kids were little, I worried about whether they were getting the right start,” Wynne said in a statement. “This investment will make life more affordable for families and allow more parents to ma...