Petition for Enhanced Safety Measures in Childcare Facilities Near Parking Lots And Other Vehicular Exposure

To: The Ontario Government and Municipal Authorities

We, the undersigned parents and guardians, are deeply concerned about the safety of our children in childcare facilities, particularly regarding the risks posed by parking lots and vehicular traffic nearby. Recent tragic incidents such as the tragedy in Richmond Hill on Sep 10 2025 highlighted the urgent need for enhanced safety measures.

We hereby petition for the following actions:

 

1. Implementation of Safety Barriers: New and old daycares must cost out and erect physical barriers, such as fences and bollards, to separate children's rooms and play areas from parking lots and to protect rooms with glass walls.

This is a minimum and the many levels of governments are hereby asked to fund such measures as most daycares likely do not have the budget to study such needs or purchase and implement the necessary guards or other protective barriers.  

Daycare facilities are not like other retail or office establishments and should not operate out of standard commercial units -often with glass walls without sufficient bricks or concrete around the glass to absorb vehicle shock.  To convert a standard plaza commercial unit into a daycare room requires extra safety barriers when there is vehicular travel present around children in very close proximity.

2. Traffic Management Solutions: Before approving new daycares and when assessing the existing daycare premises for continued operations, we demand that the multiple levels of authorities establish and help fund clearly marked traffic flow patterns around childcare facilities, including designated drop-off and pick-up zones, designated public and tenant parking spots away from daycare rooms, to minimize vehicle operation in dangerous proximity to children and caregivers of daycares.

3. Improved Visibility Strategies: require and fund daycares to obtain enhanced visibility measures, such as better signage, lighting, and the use of surveillance cameras to monitor blind spots, making it easier for drivers to see pedestrians, especially young children.

 

4. Speed Control Measures: Require and fund the introduction of speed bumps, rumble strips, and improved landscaping to promote reduced vehicle speeds in areas surrounding childcare facilities.

5. Public Awareness Campaigns: Launch initiatives aimed at educating drivers on the importance of being vigilant in areas where children are present or daycare facilities are operating and add a chapter on same to G1 driving education.

6. Regulatory Reforms: It is important explore and pass regulations that ensure all new and existing childcare facilities adhere to clear safety protocols concerning vehicular traffic management around daycare facilities and to provide funding (so lack of funding for necessary safety measures does not expose children to perils) like the tragedies that have occurred. 

7. Subsidies for Safety Measures: Not only do we ask that multiple levels of government pass regulations that spell out the reasonable safety measures required of daycares and plazas housing daycares, we ask that they then allocate subsidies and funding to support the implementation of these necessary safety measures in childcare facilities.

Childcare facilities do not operate with much of a profit margin as we the parents understand.  

Yet, they are vital service providers.

We need vibrant and safe daycares.  

We see immense value in multiple levels of governments working with daycares to implement safety measures so cost efficiencies can be achieved and a workable funding arrangement can be designed.    

Message:

Our children’s safety is paramount, and as parents, we believe that immediate action is necessary to prevent further tragedies.

We urge the Ontario Government and local municipalities to prioritize these safety measures and ensure that our childcare environments are secure for all children.

We don’t want to drop off a child in the morning and receive a call to pick them up injured, dead or traumatized.  

Your support in signing this petition will help protect our children and ensure safer environments in childcare facilities across Ontario.