TORONTO - Premier Dalton McGuinty says the government will not force school boards to cancel deals with private daycare providers.

He says the province has decided it's best to let boards keep existing daycare providers if they don't want to set up their own before- and after-school programs.

But McGuinty says the third-party providers will have to be in the school and use the government curriculum.

McGuinty made the remarks amid reports that his government intended to scrap plans for boards to run the daycare programs.

The before- and after-school daycare for full-day kindergarten students is a key piece of the governing Liberals' early learning program.

Progressive Conservative critic Lisa MacLeod says McGuinty is still watering down his much-touted full-day learning plan.