Child Care Expansion
Child Care and Early Years Service System Management and Planning | ||||||||||||
Designated as the Consolidated Municipal Service Manager (CMSM) for Leeds and Grenville by the Government of Ontario, the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville (Counties) is responsible for planning and service system management of all licensed child care programs in Leeds and Grenville. Through the Children’s Services Department, the Counties is responsible for identifying community needs, licensed child care expansion planning, allocating funding to address child care and early years requirements, and for developing a Service Plan that identifies local child care and early years system priorities. |
||||||||||||
Current Child Care Expansion Initiatives | ||||||||||||
2022-2026 CWELCC Directed Growth Strategy Ontario’s vision for the Canada Wide Early Learning Child Care (CWELCC) system is that more families in Ontario have access to high quality, affordable, flexible, and inclusive early learning and child care no matter where they live. As such, each region across the province has been allocated expansion licensed child care spaces that will be supported with CWELCC funding to ensure that families are able to access affordable child care. For more information about where these new licensed child care spaces will be created in our community, please see the 2022-2026 Leeds and Grenville CWELCC Directed Growth Strategy. For inquiries about these expansion licensed child care spaces or to receive an Expression of Interest (EOI) package for the Leeds and Grenville 2022-2026 CWELCC Directed Growth Strategy, please contact us by Email. |
||||||||||||
Licensed Child Care Expansion |
||||||||||||
The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville (the Counties) is embarking on a five-year plan to increase licensed child care spaces in Leeds and Grenville and invites licensed child care operators (Operators) who are interested in creating new licensed child care spaces in our community, within the next five years (2023 – 2027), to submit their interest in expansion via an Expression of Interest (EOI) 2023-01 Licensed child Care Space Expansion 2023 - 2027. With the introduction of the Canada Wide Early Learning Child Care (CWELCC) system, the Province of Ontario has approved Leeds and Grenville for a total of 397 CWELCC new child care spaces through the CWELCC Directed Growth Strategy. For more information about the Counties’ Directed Growth Strategy, please refer to the 2022-2026 Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) Directed Growth Strategy.
Recognizing the need to support licensed child care space growth, the Counties is committed to exploring all opportunities. Operators interested in creating new licensed child care spaces outside of the CWELCC Directed Growth Strategy (i.e. for school age children only or not in a designated community) should also complete and submit this EOI.
For more information about licensed child care expansion in Leeds and Grenville or assistance with the Expression of Interest (EOI), please contact our office a childrenservices@uclg.on.ca
|
||||||||||||
Other Funding Initiatives | ||||||||||||
Funding may be available from the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, for eligible child care Operators, to open new or expand existing licensed child care programs in our community. Only Operators that hold a Service Agreement with the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville are eligible to be considered for this funding. This includes:
*Note: It is not a requirement for an Operator to have a Service Agreement with the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville to apply for/receive Wage Grant or Home Child Care Enhancement Grant Funding. Additional information about the funding and services available from the United Counites can be found on our Child Care Funding and Service Guidelines page. |
||||||||||||
Starting a Licensed Child Care Centre or Home Child Care Agency | ||||||||||||
The Ontario Ministry of Education governs all child care programs across the Province. This includes centre-based programs. Licensed home-based programs and private home programs. To open a child care centre or home child care agency, you must apply to the Ministry of Education for a license to operate the program. The process to get a child care license can take approximately 4 to 6 months. To apply for a child care license, you will need to:
Before you apply for your license, you should:
For more information about Starting a Child Care Program, please visit the Province of Ontario's Start a child care program page. |
||||||||||||
Child Care Program Legislation (Home Based and Centre) |
||||||||||||
The Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (CCEYA) establishes the rules for all child care and early years programs and services in Ontario to:
In Ontario, child care providers must follow the rules set out in the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (CCEYA) and its regulations. The CCEYA sets out the standards, rules and regulations that must be met to ensure the safety and well-being of children. The act applies to:
For more information about the requirements for child care programs and/or the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014, please visit the Province of Ontario's Start a child care program page. |
||||||||||||
Child Care Program Licensing Manuals & Guidelines |
||||||||||||
The Ontario Ministry of Education Child Care Licensing Manuals and Guidelines provide information about the legislative and regulatory requirements for licensed child care programs. This includes information on:
For more information about Child Care Centre Licensing Requirements and for a copy of the licensing manual, please visit the Province of Ontario's Child care centre licensing manual page. For more information about Home Child Care Licensing Requirements and for a copy of the licensing manual, please visit the Province of Ontario's Child care centre licensing manual page. For more information about Before and After School Program Licensing Guidelines, please visit the Province of Ontario's Before and after school program licensing guideline page. |
||||||||||||
Program Guiding Pedagogy | ||||||||||||
How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years is the guiding provincial document for licensed child care programs across Ontario.
With a focus on learning and development through relationships, particularly the relationships between children, families and educators, HDLH? outlines goals for children, expectations for programs and questions for reflection based on the four foundations of belonging, wellbeing, engagement and expression. This resource discusses:
For more information about How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years, please visit the Province of Ontario's How does learning happen: Ontario’s pedagogy for the early years page.
|
Contact Us