Improving child-care access for Ontario families

Lucas Malinowski —

Ontario is improving access to affordable, accessible, high-quality and responsive child care and early years programming for families across the province.

 As a first step in delivering 100,000 more child care spaces within the next five years, Ontario is creating approximately 3,400 new child care spaces in schools this year. Indira Naidoo-Harris, Associate Minister of Education for Early Years and Child Care, was at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School in Toronto today to highlight the new investment, first announced in the 2016 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review. The school received 88 new child care spaces this year, improving access for neighbourhood families.

Ontario is also seeking public input across the province on its early years and child care system. Feedback received from parents, families, experts and the public will help shape the government’s renewed vision and framework for early years programs and services, including the commitment to create 100,000 new licensed child care spaces within the next five years. To participate in the in-person or online consultations, please visit: https://www.ontario.ca/morechildcare

Investing in the early years and child care system is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives. 

“This historic commitment signals the next phase in our plan for child care modernization. It’s visionary, transformative, and ground-breaking. We need advice from parents, experts, and key stakeholders to ensure we get it right. This is a bold plan for Ontario’s future and families across the province, and we want your voice at the table.”

— Indira Naidoo-Harris, Associate Minister of Education

QUICK FACTS

 §  Creating 100,000 new child care spaces will double the current capacity, creating spaces for about 40 per cent of children aged 0 to 4 years old.

§  Ontario is investing an additional $65.5 million this year to help create 3,400 new child care spaces in schools across the province.

§  Since 2003–2004, the government has doubled child care funding to more than $1 billion annually, and the number of licensed child care spaces in Ontario has grown to nearly 390,000 – an increase of more than 108%.

§  Ontario has banned child care providers from charging a fee to be placed on a waiting list. This change took effect September 1, 2016.

LEARN MORE

§  Modernizing Child Care in Ontario

§  Child care in Ontario

§  Child and Family Programs in Ontario

§  Ontario’s Ban on Child Care Wait List Fees

§  Achieving Excellence – A Renewed Vision for Education in Ontario