Child Care Information for Parents

York Region’s Early Years Program Finder allows parents and caregivers to search for licensed child care centres, including programs participating in the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system, centres offering subsidized child care, family drop-in programs and EarlyON Child and Family Centres in York Region.

Lower fees for families who use licensed child care

Updates on eligibility and refunds for the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system)

The Regional Municipality of York (York Region) is working with licensed child care operators to enroll them in the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system. By participating in the new system, operators will be able to reduce fees for parents. To be eligible for lower child care fees, children must be enrolled in a licensed centre or home child care program that chooses to participate in the CWELCC system.

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

Reducing 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:

  • 25% for any fees that you paid after April 1, 2022, to a minimum of $12 a day. We expect child care operators that are participating in CWELCC will provide refunds this by mid-December.
  • Child care fees reduced further to an average of 50% by the end of December 2022.
  • Additional reductions in 2024.
  • A final reduction as all child care fees move towards an average of $10 a day by September 2025.

Families receiving child care fee subsidy are also eligible for fee reductions 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.

On June 15 and 16, 2022, we shared the application package with child care operators, and they were able to start applying on June 22, 2022.

Licensed child care operatorswere required to declare their intention to opt in or out by November 1, 2022. York Region staff are continuing to review applications of operators that have declared their intention to opt in. Any licensed child care operators that did not opt in by this deadline cannot participate in the CWELCC system in 2022.

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

Next steps for you

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 program is approved, you will receive up to a 25% refund for any fees that you paid after April 1, 2022.

If your child care operator decides not to participate in the system or 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. 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

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 new child care system and be approved. If that happens, 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 will receive 25% refunds from the operator.
  • Regardless of when your child care operator is approved, you will still get the full 25% refund for any fees paid after April 1, 2022, by mid-December.
  • 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.

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

Licensed Child Care Options

There are many licensed child care options available to families, in York Region. Licensed centre-based and home-based child care is available for children with special needs. Visit York Region’s Special Needs Services for more information.

Child Care Fee Subsidy may be available for eligible families with children in licensed child care.

Full-Day Child Care Centres

Child care centres provide full-day child care, usually for 12 months of the year. Some centres also offer part-time care, nursery school programs, temporary care services, as well as school-age or camp programs. These centres must be licensed, whether they are operated by a private corporation or a non-profit, incorporated board of directors.

Parents seeking care for infants and toddlers in a child care centre should be prepared to pay more than they pay for a preschool child because additional staff is required to care for young children.

Home-Based Child Care

Individual home caregivers are not licensed by the Ministry of Education, but are contracted by home child care agencies that are licensed by the Ministry.

Home child care agencies recruit, screen, approve and supervise caregivers who provide child care in their own homes for children from birth to under 13 years of age. It is the agency that is licensed and responsible for ensuring each home meets Child Care and Early Years Act standards. The Child Care and Early Years Act governs the operation of child care centres, or nursery school programs, in Ontario.  Child care centres, or nursery school programs, that have more than five children under age 10, must obtain a licence from Ontario’s Ministry of Education.

In a licensed home-based agency:

  • Homes are visited and monitored regularly by home child care agencies and are subject to spot checks. Homes are government-regulated and meet specific standards
  • Caregivers must meet a set of standards including police checks
  • The number and ages of children in care is regulated
  • The hours of care are flexible
  • Siblings can be placed together
  • There are smaller groups of children cared for per home, with a a maximum of six children per home
  • Financial support may be available to families who qualify
  • Tax receipts are provided

Nursery School Programs

Nursery schools are licensed, part-day programs for more than five children between the ages of 2 and a half and five years of age. They usually only run during the school year from September to June.

School-age Programs

School-age programs are licensed to provide before and/or after school care for more than five children. Some programs also offer lunch supervision, as well as care on professional development days and school holidays.

Approved Recreation Programs for School-age Children

HIGH FIVE®-approved recreation programs provide before and/or after school care and summer programs for school-age children. Care may also be provided during March/Christmas break and school board closures.

Selecting Quality Child Care

For information on selecting quality child care, read our resource packages which can help you identify your family’s needs and select a quality child care program that is right for you and your child. The packages include information about child care options, child care needs, a child care checklist and how to help your child adjust to child care.

  1. Selecting Quality Child Care in a Centre-Based Program
  2. Selecting Quality Child Care in a Home-Based Program

Related Resources

External Resources