Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care System

In March 2022, the Ontario and Federal governments signed the CWELCC agreement. The new system will lower child care costs and improve access, quality and inclusion across Ontario’s child care and early years sector. Ontario will receive $13.2 billion over six years to implement CWELCC. CWELCC is a federal program, administered by the province and delivered by Service System Managers, including York Region.

The province has set the following goals for the new Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system:

• Provide a 25% fee reduction for parents to a minimum of $12 per day retroactive to April 1, 2022 followed by a second 37% reduction before the end of 2022 for a total fee reduction of 52.75%. This means child care fees are reduced by an average of 50% of the 2020 child care.
• Achieve $10 average daily child care fees for children five years old and younger by September 2025
• Create approximately 86,000 new child care spaces for children five years old and younger in Ontario
• Introduce Province-wide reforms that support the needs of diverse and underserved populations, including low-income, Francophone, Indigenous, Black, other racialized and newcomer communities, as well as vulnerable and special needs children
• Hire new early childhood educators and provide improved compensation for all Registered Early Childhood Educators working in licensed child care. The program will establish a wage floor of $23.86 for Registered Early Childhood Educators and $24.86 for RECE Supervisors. It will also provide a $1 per hour increase annually until 2026 to a maximum of $26 per hour
• Existing for-profit and non-profit child care operators will have the option to opt in to the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care system

Licensed centre-based and home child care agencies in York Region were eligible to participate in the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care System and required to declare their intention to participate by November 1, 2022. Licensed child care operators were required to inform parents of their decision to opt in or out. Any licensed child care operator that did not opt in by this deadline cannot participate in the CWELCC system in 2022. Operators interested in joining CWELCC for 2023 and beyond should refer to the CWELCC Enrollment and Expansion (Access and Inclusion) section for more details.

If an operator has opted in and later decides they do not want to participate in the program, they can inform the Region by providing 60 days’ written notice. For licensed child care operators that choose not to participate in the system, child care fees for families will not be reduced.

Learn more about the Canada-Ontario early years and child care agreement.

For a list of licensed child care centres and home child care agencies in York Region participating in CWELCC, please visit the Early Years Program Finder

CWELCC Application - Access and Inclusion Framework

Ontario’s vision for the 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. The province has committed to creating approximately 86,000 new child care spaces for children under six years old across Ontario by December 2026. 

The Province requires each Service System Manager to develop a Directed Growth Plan that identifies underserved priority neighbourhoods based on the target groups established by the Province: children living in low income families, children from diverse communities, children with special needs, Francophone children and Indigenous children.

A data driven and equity focused approach was used to determine the Region’s priority neighbourhoods that align with the province’s Access and Inclusion Framework. East Markham, Central Vaughan, Central East Gwillimbury, West Georgina and North Georgina are being targeted for growth and expansion. 

At this time, only licensed child care centres and home child care agencies looking to create new homes or expand home providers located in York Region’s five priority neighbourhoods are being considered for 2024 funding for new CWELCC spaces.

Staff Compensation Application 2024

Funding for other aspects of CWELCC, including workforce compensation, administration and cost escalation, will be determined by information collected in the 2024 Staff Compensation Application. This application will also calculate eligibility for the 2024 Wage Enhancement Grant. Licensed child care centres and home agencies can submit one application per site to apply for funding.   

The deadline to submit an application for 2024 is Monday, February 12, 2024. Late applications will only be accepted if funding is available. ​​​​​​

Staff Compensation Application 2024

Record of Attendance (ROA)

The 2023 CWELCC fee reduction funding for child care operators is being calculated and paid through the monthly ROA in the Ontario Child Care Management System (OCCMS). Operators are required to complete the CWELCC ROA accurately to ensure they receive the appropriate CWELCC fee reduction funding.

Each month, from the 1^st to the 8^th, operators are required to report for each care type (i.e.: Infant Full Day, Infant Part Day, etc.):

1. The number of enrolled full fee-paying children receiving a CWELCC reduction
2. Their operating capacity (minus any subsidized children)

York Region’s Children’s Service Representatives (CSR) will review and verify each submission by CWELCC participating child care operators each month in order for funding to be released. CSRs may contact operators to verify information that has been submitted. It is important that operators respond as soon as possible as this could delay payment and/or impact payment amounts.

Reconciliations

CWELCC-participating operators are required to provide expense details for the following CWELCC funding:

• Parent fee
• Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE) wage floor and annual increase
• Minimum wage offset
• Cost Escalation Funding
• Administration funding

Operators are expected to complete and submit their reconciliation each year. The Region will notify child care operators when Reconciliations are due..

Any underspent CWELCC funds will be identified through the reconciliation process. It is recognized that child care programs operate with fluctuating child enrollment throughout the year. As a result, a portion of the underspent CWELCC funds may not be recovered to support fixed expenses. Operators should speak to their Contract and Funding Coordinator (CFC) about situations where an exceptional circumstance may have resulted in underspent funds.

What is CWELCC?

In March 2022, the provincial and federal governments announced a $13.2 billion child care agreement, known as the Canada-wide Early Learning Child Care (CWELCC) program. The goal of this program is to make licensed child care more affordable across the country and improve access, quality and inclusion across Ontario’s child care and early years sector. This includes reducing fees to an average of $10 per day for children under the age of six in licensed child care by September 2025.

What is York Region’s role in CWELCC?

CWELCC is a federal program, administered by the province and delivered by York Region. As the Service System Manager for the Child Care and Early Years system, York Region administers provincially funded child care fee subsidy to families living with low and moderate incomes. This allows children to access and benefit from licensed child care and their parents to work or attend school.

Funding under the CWELCC agreement is meant to increase quality, accessibility, affordability and inclusivity. In York Region, 90% of licensed child care sites have opted-in to participate in CWELCC by the November 1, 2022 deadline. This represents over 37,000 licensed child care spaces.

How does the CWELCC program work?

CWELCC is a federal program, administered by the province and delivered by Service System Managers which, among other things, is reducing the cost of child care fees for children under six years of age to make licensed care more affordable and to improve access to affordable child care for priority populations.

Once CWELCC is fully implemented to an average of $10 per day, families cost of child care across York Region may still vary depending on if their child care is participating in CWELCC. Families who qualify for Child Care Fee Subsidy may also see fees reduced further. It is unknown at this time how Child Care Fee Subsidy calculations will be made when CWELCC has reached an average of $10 per day.

How else does CWELCC support child care and families?

The fee reductions are in addition to the creation of new child care spaces for children under six years old across Ontario in priority neighbourhoods to support the needs of diverse and underserved populations, including low-income, Francophone, Indigenous, Black, other racialized and newcomer communities, as well as vulnerable and special needs children. The CWELCC program is also focused on ensuring families have access to licensed child cared by developing a workforce strategy to support the hiring of new early childhood educators, and improved compensation for all Registered Early Childhood Educators working in licensed child care.

How many new child care spaces will be funded under CWELCC in York Region?

In May 2023, the Ministry of Education allocated 72,583 new spaces that would be funded under CWELCC across the province. York Region has been allocated 1,882 new spaces for children under six years old. These spaces must be allocated according to provincial directions. Of these spaces, 367 are to be located in schools and the remaining new 1,515 child care spaces are to be established in priority neighborhoods.

What is the Ministry of Education’s Access and Inclusion Framework?

The Access and Inclusion Framework requires service system managers to update their service plans with their directed growth plans for CWELCC spaces. The Region’s 2024 to 2027 Child Care and Early Years Service System Plan will explore opportunities to strengthen child care and early years services in York Region. The plan will reflect the Region’s commitment to access and inclusion through updated data and forecasting, broad community engagement, and working closely with local municipalities and community partners.

What are York Region’s priority neighbourhoods?

Priority neighbourhoods have been defined by the province as consisting of target population groups including: children living in low income families, children from diverse communities, children with special needs, Francophone children and Indigenous children.

York Region has identified five neighbourhoods that best fit the provincial priorities under the CWELCC system: East Markham, Central Vaughan, Central East Gwillimbury, West Georgina and North Georgina.

How will child care operators receive the new spaces?

York Region has been allocated 1,882 new CWELCC funded licensed child care spaces for children under six years old. These spaces must be allocated according to Provincial directions. To equitably distribute child care spaces among interested child care operators, an application process is being developed that aligns with the priorities of the Ministry of Education’s Access and Inclusion Framework. The application process will determine where the new CWELCC funded child care spaces in the priority neighbourhoods will be located. Applications for new CWELCC funded spaces will be invited annually, beginning this fall.

Will existing fee subsidy programs still be available for families?

The current fee subsidy program will continue to be available for families who are eligible to apply for financial support to help pay for licensed child care.

How do operators opt-in to the program?

York Region developed an online application for licensed child care operators in York Region to opt in or out of the Canada-Wide Early Learning Child Care (CWELCC) program. The online application was made available on york.ca the week of June 20, 2022. Child care operators who choose to opt in had until November 1, 2022, as outlined by the Province. Operators who did not opt in by the November 1, 2022 deadline may enter the program in subsequent years if funding is available. See CWELCC Application - Access and Inclusion Framework section for application details.

Where can families find more information about accessing child care?

For more information on how to access child care in York Region, please visit york.ca/childcare

Who’s eligible

• Children are eligible until the end of the month in which they turn six
• When a child turns six between January and June, they are eligible until June 30 of that year

How will CWELCC reduce your fees

If you have a child of eligible age and your centre or program chooses to participate, and is approved, you will see the following reductions:

• For child care operators who opted into CWELCC in 2022, effective April 1, 2022 child care fees were reduced by 25%, to a minimum of $12 a day. Child care operators issued retro-active refunds to families by December 2022.
• Child care fees were reduced further to an average of 50%, to a minimum of $12 a day by the end of December 2022.
• Further reductions in all child care fees will continue until they are an average of $10 a day by September 2025.

Families receiving child care fee subsidy are also currently eligible for fee reductions of 50% of their parent contribution under the CWELCC system, if their child care provider is participating in the program.

Child care operators must apply to participate

All licensed child care operators were eligible to participate in the new child care system.

90% of licensed child care providers in York Region are participating in CWELCC. For a list of licensed child care centres and home child care agencies in York Region participating in CWELCC, please visit the Early Years Program Finder.

CWELCC is expanding and York Region was approved to fund an additional 1,882 new spaces over five years beginning in 2022. The province has directed these new spaces be prioritized in targeted geographic areas where there is a need to increase access for diverse populations, including low income, children with special needs, Francophone, Indigenous, Black, and other racialized and newcomer communities in underserved neighbourhoods. Child care operators interested in joining CWELCC or expanding will be invited to apply for new funding each year. East Markham, Central Vaughan, Central East Gwillimbury, West Georgina and North Georgina are being targeted for growth and expansion.

Do I get a refund?

Families will continue to pay their current fees in full until their child care operator’s application has been approved to participate. If your child care centre or home child care program was approved in 2022, you were eligible to receive up to a 25% retro-active refund, to a minimum rate of $12 per day, for child care fees paid from April 1, 2022. Child care fees were reduced further to an average of 50% by the end of December 2022 to a minimum rate of $12 per day.

If your child care operator is not approved, they must inform you in writing. If your child care operator chooses not to participate, you will not be eligible for a refund or fee reduction. If you wish to withdraw your child(ren) from the program because of the operator’s decision, you will have 30 days from the time their letter is sent to you to withdraw without any penalty.

How to get your refund

Refunds were only issued for families of child cares who opted into CWELCC in 2022. You don't need to do anything to get your refund. However, there are some things that need to happen first:

• Your child care operator must have applied to participate in the CWELCC system and be approved. If that happened, the operator will let you know when you will receive your refund.
• Your child care operator must inform you if they decide not to participate or are not approved to participate, and update their parent handbook to indicate that they are not enrolled in the CWELCC system. You will not get a refund if your operator does not participate.
• Families received a 25% refund from the operator in 2022 retro-active to April 1, 2022.
• If you are no longer using child care but had an eligible child in licensed child care in April 2022, the operator will contact you with their decision to participate. If they choose to participate and are approved, you are eligible for a 25% refund for the fees you paid to the child care operator, which will be arranged by the operator.
• Effective January 1, 2023 child care fees are further reduced by an average of 50%

If you would like to know if your child care operator has applied for CWELCC funding, you can ask them directly about their decision.

To find a child care operator in York Region that is participating in CWELCC, please visit our Early Years Program Finder. If you need support to pay your child care costs, find out if you qualify for Child Care Fee Subsidy

Learn more about the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care agreement