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

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 license, to confirm that consultation with the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville 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.

Implementation

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.

Child Care Agency Guidelines and Application

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.

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.

RECE Workforce Compensation Funds

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 programs that opt-in to the CWELCC System. For more information on CWELCC Workforce Compensation funding, please contact our office.

Child Care Agencies Enrolled in CWELCC

The following licensed child care programs/sites are enrolled in the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care System (CWELCC) in Leeds and Grenville:

Child Care United
- Thousand Islands Daycare, 235 Georgina Street, Gananoque
- Willow Tree Daycare, 101 King Street, West, Lansdowne
- Linklater Before and After School Club, 300 Stone Street, North, Gananoque
Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est
- Centre de garde d'enfants Notre-Dame, 50 Campus Drive, Kemptville
- Centre de garde d'enfants Sainte-Marguerite Bourgeoys, 306 Read Road, Merrickville
Educare Children's Learning Centre
- 29 Central Avenue, West, Brockville
- 8 Second Street, Prescott
- 7 Henderson Street, Spencerville
Gananoque and District Co-operative Nursery School, 600 MacDonald Drive, Gananoque
Kampus Kids Early Learning Centre
- 9234 Addison/Greenbush Road, Addison
- 556 King Street, West, Brockville
- 38 Main Street, Lyn
- 1504 County Road 2, Mallorytown
Kemptville Area Family Resource Centre (KAFRC)
- 2659 Concession Road, Kemptville
- 2649A Concession Road, Kemptville
- 2965 Highway 43, Kemptville
Madison Montessori Academy, 2965 Highway 43, Kemptville
Merrickville Day Nursery School, 223 Lewis Street, Merrickville
More Than Just Babysitting Child Care Centre Inc. (MTJB)
- 5 Clothier Street, Kemptville
- 521 Clothier Street, Kemptville
- 14 Tophmar Road, Kemptville
- 21 Stewart Drive, Prescott
- 920 Boundary Street, Prescott
- 420 McAuley Road, Prescott
North Grenville Learning Centre
- Centre Éducatif North Grenville, 51-B Academic Crescent, Kemptville
- Leahurst Site - 860 Heritage Drive, Kemptville
- KPS Site - 224 County Road 44, Kemptville
Rideau Lakes Early Learning Centre
- 29 Main Street, Elgin
- 1 Halladay Street, Elgin
- 77 Main Street, Elgin
Stepping Stones Children's Learning Centre, 117 Windsor Drive, Brockville
St. John Bosco Children’s Centre/Ange-Gabriel
- Ange Gabriel, 1515 Kensington Parkway, Brockville
- Bosco, 12 Durham Street, Brockville
- St. Francis, 74 Church Street, Brockville
- JL Jordan, 294 First Avenue, Brockville
Westport Daycare
- 9863 County Road 10, Westport
- 51 Bedford Street, Westport
YMCA of Eastern Ontario
- 345 Park Street, Brockville
- 40 Vanier Drive, Brockville
- 306 Drummond Street, East, Merrickville
YMCA of Eastern Ontario - Licensed Home Day Care

My Child Care Operator Did Not Enroll

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:

The Parent/Guardian must give your Operator 30 days’ notice of the withdrawal; and
The Parent/Guardian must give notice within 30 days after being notified in writing that your Operator will not be applying for enrollment in the CWELCC System.

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.