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Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care System
The Government of Canada has identified child care as a national priority to enhance early learning and childhood development, support workforce participation and contribute to economic recovery.
Through its 2021 Budget, the federal government committed to investing in a national child care system with all provinces and territories, as well as Indigenous organizations. As part of this agreement, Ontario will receive $13.2 billion over six years beginning in 2021-22.
Funding under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement (CWELCC) will be used to build and leverage the success of Ontario’s existing early learning and child care system by increasing quality, accessibility, affordability and inclusivity in early learning and child care, towards achieving the objectives of:
- Providing a 25% fee reduction retroactive to April 1, 2022 building to a 50% reduction in average parent costs (based on 2020 levels) for licensed early learning and child care by the end of calendar year 2022 and reaching an average parent fee of $10 a day by 2025-26 for licensed child care spaces;
- Creating 86,000 new high-quality, affordable licensed child care spaces (relative to 2019 levels), predominantly though not-for-profit licensed child care;
- Addressing barriers to provide inclusive child care; and d) Valuing the early childhood workforce and providing them with training and development opportunities.
| Child Care Affordability and Expansion |
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Ontario is taking a phased approach to implementing the CWELCC System, with a focus on the immediate objectives of affordability for families and system stability, before moving on to addressing the objectives of increasing accessibility and inclusion over the longer term. Beginning in 2023, and as part of CWELCC, the Ministry of Education has directed CMSMs to develop a licensed child care system growth strategy for next 3 years, to ensure that there is equitable access to licensed child care for families in our community. The Ministry has additionally directed CMSMs, that all new licensed child care spaces created beginning January 1, 2023, and that will be supported by CWELCC funds, must align with this growth strategy. To ensure the effective use of CWELCC funds, the Ministry has also introduced a requirement, effective January 1, 2023, for Operators with applications for a new license or expansion of an existing child care licence, to confirm that consultation with the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville (the Counties) has taken place, to determine whether the proposed program expansion is eligible for funding under CWELCC. This new requirement applies to both CWELCC enrolled Operators as well as those Operators that have opted-out of CWELCC. The Counties is currently developing its child care system growth strategy that will frame the future expansion of the licensed child care system in our community. Informed by provincial priority criteria, a variety of community level data as well as information that will be gathered from a parent needs survey and targeted focus groups, this growth strategy will represent the path forward to an affordable and accessible licensed child care system in our community. Once finalized, the Counties’ licensed child care system growth strategy will be available to both Child Care Operators and the broader community. In order to allow time for the Counties to conduct its needs analysis and develop the Leeds and Grenville licensed child care system growth strategy, the Counties is temporarily putting a pause on the approval of:
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| Implementation |
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Ontario will provide Funds to CMSMs/ DSSABs to support the objectives for licensed child care programs under the CWELCC System. In Leeds and Grenville, The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville is the designated CMSM and is responsible for the implementation of the CWELCC System in our community. For more information about the CWELCC System please visit their webpage. More information about the implementation of the CWELCC system in Leeds and Grenville will be available here in the coming weeks/months. |
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Child Care Agency Guidelines and Application |
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Licensed Child care agencies (Operators) are able to choose to participate in the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) System, or not participate and operate outside the CWELCC System. The United Counties of Leeds Grenville may deny an application for enrollment in limited circumstances outlined in O.Reg.137/15. Operators that wish to participate in the CWELCC System must indicate their intent to do so to the County by September 1, 2022. To receive a copy of the Application for enrollment in the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) System, please contact the Children’s Services Department by Email or call 1-800-770-2170/613-342-3840 extension 2127. |
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RECE Workforce Compensation Funds |
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The introduction of the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) System, includes new Workforce Compensation Funds for Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) working in licensed child care agencies that opt-in to the CWELCC System. The following tip sheet provides an overview of eligibility for the wage increases being provided under this funding. |
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Child Care Agencies Enrolled in CWELCC |
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The following licensed child care agencies have enrolled in the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care System (CWELCC) in Leeds and Grenville:
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My Child Care Operator Did Not Enroll |
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My Child Care Operator Did Not Enroll If your Child Care Operator has not enrolled in the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care System (CWELCC), this means that your Operator is not required to reduce your parent fees to the provincial average of $10.00 a day. In the event that your Child Care Operator has not applied for enrollment in the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) System, per O. Reg. 137/15 s. 77.2 (3), parents/guardians are permitted to withdraw their child from the child care centre or home child care without penalty, should they choose to do so, as long as the following two (2) conditions are met:
Ensuring that all families have access to affordable licensed child care is a priority to Leeds Grenville. Families accessing licensed child care at an agency that opts out of the CWELCC System are encouraged to contact the County for assistance in finding alternate child care at an agency that has opted-in to the CWELCC System. For more more information or help, please contact our office at 613-342-3840 x 2351 or email us. I Need Help With My Child Care Costs Families who live in Leeds and Grenville who need help with the cost of licensed child care for their children up to 12 years old, can apply for Child Care Fee Subsidy. For more information about eligibility and to apply, please visit our Child Care Fee Subsidy page. For more more information or help, please contact our office at 613-342-3840 x 2351 or email us. |
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