Universal Childcare Funding for Ontario 

Increasing access, lowering fees and enhancing high-quality childcare   

SimplySmart’s eight locations across the GTA have opted in for the Ontario childcare deal, known as the Canada-wide Early Learning and Childcare Agreement. 

The Ontario childcare deal will significantly benefit the entire community and not just families who can afford to. Without universal access to reliable childcare, parents cannot go to work, attend school or do other life obligations, and this would continue impacting the economy due to unemployment & the current cost of Ontario daycare. 

Studies conducted by Dr. Fraser Mustard and the Honourable Margaret McCain have shown that “Early learning is crucial to lifelong development —it improves graduation rates, promotes and lifelong well-being.” 

Building a more affordable, accessible, inclusive and high-quality childcare system in Ontario is one of the key drivers in how we recover from the effects of the pandemic. 

 

What is the Canada-wide Early Learning and Childcare Agreement? 

On March 28, 2022, a historic $13.2-billion-dollar childcare agreement was announced for Ontario that will see lower fees for families and deliver an average of $10-a-day childcare by September 2025. The Ontario childcare deal will deliver financial relief for families with children under five years old participating in licensed childcare. The government will work with municipalities to enroll over 5,200 childcare centres in the new program. Rebates will be coming to parents retroactive to April 1, 2022, and will begin in May 2022 and follow the enrolment of centres into the new program if your childcare provider applies in 2022. This means parents would be eligible to receive credit or a refund for the higher fees paid. Parents do not need to enrol their children, as your licensed childcare provider will contact you. 

On August 17, 2022, the government extended the deadline for Ontario daycares to opt into the federal government’s CWELCC System by November 1, 2022, and it is now in the hands of the Ministry of Education. 

 

What does this mean for me as a Parent? 

How do I know if my family is eligible for a childcare fee reduction? The reduction is fees is over the next 3 years with parents receiving a 25% rebate on fees for April 1 to December 31, 2022. In 2023 the reduction is 50% and so on. Parents may qualify if they meet the following requirements: 

You currently pay more than $12 per day for daycare in Ontario and your child is: 

  • Under the age of six. 
  • They will be turning six and are enrolled in a licensed preschool or kindergarten until June 30, 2022. 
  • The provider you’ve chosen has opted in to enroll in the Canada-wide Early Learning and Childcare Agreement. 

 

Childcare with Subsidy – SimplySmart childcare 

It is expected that by the end of 2026, the Ministry of Education is reporting that 86,000 new licensed daycare spaces in Ontario will be created for 0–5-year olds. As this demand increases, SimplySmart continues to grow, and on August 22, 2022, we opened our doors to our newest location in the Toronto-Bloor area. If you are in the High Park community do not forget to check us out.  

If you want to join a community created to help parents, we would like you to consider thinking of SimplySmart Child Care Centre & Montessori for your child and family needs. Our daycare locations will be enrolling for the Universal childcare agreement so you can be rest assured that you will get the benefit of the Ontario Childcare deal. 

To learn more about our Play-Based or Montessori programs, please visit https://simplysmartchildcare.com/play-based-or-montessori/.