Ontario Launches $20M Liam Riazati Memorial Fund to Help Child Care Centres Install Safety Barriers

Ontario Creates Safety Fund in Honour of Liam Riazati

TORONTO — The Ontario government has announced a new $20 million investment to help protect children in licensed child care programs through the launch of the Liam Riazati Memorial Fund, a provincewide initiative supporting the installation of protective concrete barriers at community-based child care facilities.

The fund is named in honour of Liam Riazati, a child who tragically lost his life in September 2025 after a vehicle struck a child care centre in Richmond Hill. The incident prompted widespread calls for enhanced safety protections across Ontario’s early learning sector.

Minister of Education Paul Calandra said the initiative reflects the province’s commitment to strengthening child care safety and supporting families.

“The fatal accident at a child care centre in Richmond Hill was a heartbreaking tragedy for the entire community. In Liam’s honour, we are taking steps to support child care operators and families with measures that offer greater peace of mind and added protection for children,” Calandra said.

Concrete Barriers to Be Installed at Community-Based Centres

The fund will focus on community-based licensed child care programs, many of which operate in retail plazas, places of worship, residential-style spaces, and standalone public buildings. These settings often require additional safety reinforcements, and the province says protective barriers can provide a critical layer of physical protection for children and staff.

Beginning in early 2026, existing community-based child care operators will be able to apply through a streamlined process to arrange for the supply, delivery, and installation of the barriers. The barriers will be provided free of charge, with further application details coming early in the new year.

Parents should have the confidence that their child is safe when they put them under care.
Our government is investing $20 million to launch the Liam Riazati Memorial Fund, a new initiative to help protect children in childcare by helping community-based licensed facilities… pic.twitter.com/1tXG0j1qPR

— Paul Calandra (@PaulCalandra) December 8, 2025

Part of a Larger Safety Review

The province confirmed that this initiative is an immediate action while longer-term regulatory and design updates for licensed child care programs are explored. Consultations with sector partners and technical experts will examine potential changes to guidelines that govern indoor and outdoor play spaces, building layouts, and child care centre safety infrastructure.

These steps follow Ontario’s earlier precautionary directive requiring all licensed centres to close parking spaces near child care areas, except for accessible parking, until permanent solutions are put in place.

School Safety Assessments Underway

The Ministry of Education has also asked school boards across the province to review safety conditions at elementary schools — both those with on-site child care and those without — to determine any additional safeguards needed to protect young learners.

School buildings are generally designed with safety features not always found in community-based child care sites, which underscores the need for program-specific enhancements.

Honouring Liam’s Legacy Through Action

Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Michael Parsa, who represents the Richmond Hill area, acknowledged the profound impact of the tragedy and emphasized the importance of the province’s response.

“As a member of the Richmond Hill community, I share the shock and grief that all Ontarians felt on that tragic day in September,” Parsa said. “Today, we are honouring Liam’s life and memory through measures that enhance the safety of children and staff in their programs across the province. The Liam Riazati Memorial Fund will help protect thousands of children and offer greater peace of mind for their families and caregivers.”

With work beginning in early 2026, the province says the memorial fund will support thousands of families while contributing to a long-term strategy that puts child safety at the centre of Ontario’s early years and child care system.

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