Dear Families
Network is pleased to share a very positive development - Ontario signed the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) agreement on March 28, 2022, with the Government of Canada. This agreement will lower fees for parents and provide more accessible and high-quality child care for Ontario families.
As a first step, all Ontario families with children five years old and younger in participating licensed child care settings will see a fee reduction of up to 25 percent (to a minimum of $12 a day), retroactive to April 1, 2022.
As soon as we are advised of next steps from the City of Toronto Children’s Services, Network will submit theCWELCC application along with any documentation required. Please continue to pay your monthly fees as usual, and we will communicate with you regarding the rebates as soon as we receive further directives from the City of Toronto Children’s Services.
Parents can expect a further fee reduction by the end of December 2022. By December, these reductions will reduce average child care fees in Ontario by 50 percent. Ontario’s plan provides for another reduction in child care fees in September 2024, and a final reduction to $10-a-day child care, on average, by September 2025.
The agreement includes the creation of 86,000 new licensed child care spaces, including more than 15,000 licensed child care spaces created since 2019. According to the announcement, the agreement will also support new early childhood educators and improve compensation for Registered Early Childhood Educators in licensed child care programs. The Ministry of Education will work with the City of Toronto Children’s Services (Service Manager) to enroll participating licensed child care operators in the new program between now and September 1, 2022.
Network welcomes this momentous and transformative day, positively supporting Families and the Early Years and Child Care Sector!
