The provincial government is planning to pay parents for every day strike action closes schools.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce made an announcement this morning saying he recognizes the impact job action has on families who need to make alternate care arrangements.
The plan includes financial support to parents for each day of school a child misses due to a labour disruption, or each day child care is not available if it is offered at a closed school.
Parents would receive $60 per day for children up to the age of six who are not enrolled in school but attend school based child care centres that close on account of the strike, $40 per day for kindergarten students, $25 per day for children in Grades 1 through 7, and $40 per day for students right up to Grade 12 with special needs.
The money would be retroactive for qualifying parents who have already paid out of pocket during the ongoing labour disruptions.
A link to apply for financial support is available online.
Government officials say the money will be taken from teachers' salaries.
If the unions were to go on strike at the same time, officials say it could cost the government $48 million per day.
Currently, the government is at odds with all four major teachers unions as talks continue to go poorly.
Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation members are staging another one day strike today in some areas, including Hamilton.
Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario members will begin rotating strikes on Monday in Toronto, York, and Ottawa-Carleton
The Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens plans to start a work-to-rule campaign tomorrow.
And the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association will stage a one day strike on Tuesday, January 21st.