Ontario is creating a $20-million safety fund named after Liam Riazati, the toddler who died in September when an SUV crashed into a Richmond Hill daycare. Beginning early next year, child-care centres will be able to apply for support through the new fund.
Because many community daycares operate in locations close to parking lots—such as plazas or places of worship—the program will help facilities add protective features like concrete barriers while the province reviews broader, long-term safety standards.
Education Minister Paul Calandra described the initiative as an initial step and said the government is prepared to invest more if needed. The crash that killed Liam also injured six young children and three adults, prompting renewed calls for improved protections around child-care sites.