How Child Care Works in Ontario

• TheOntarioMinistryofEducationisresponsibleforfunding,licensinganddevelopingpolicytosupporttheprovisionoflicensedchildcare.

• TheprovinceprovidesfundingtomunicipalitiesandFirstNationsforchildcarefeesubsidies,wagesubsi-dies,specialneedsresourcingandadministration.

Overview of child care in Ontario

• TherearetwooptionsforregulatedchildcareinOntario:• centre-basedlicensedchildcare• home-basedchildcareassociatedwithalicensedprivate-homedaycareagency

• Licensedchildcareprogramsareoperatedbynon-profitandfor-profitproviders,schoolboards,FirstNationsandmunicipalities.

• AsofMarch2012,thereare:• 4,922licensedchildcarecentres• 132licensedprivate-homedaycareagencies• 275,900spacesinlicensedchildcarecentres• 17,000childrenenrolledinhome-basedcareasso-ciatedwithlicensedprivate-homedaycareagencies

Child Care Funding

• Since2003,provincialchildcarefundinghasin-creasedby90percent,tomorethan$1billion.

• Thegovernmenthasintroducedtransitionfunding,growingto$51millionannuallyatfullimplemen-tation,tohelpthechildcaresectordealwiththeimpactoffull-daykindergarten.

• Inaddition,thegovernmentisinvesting$12millionoverfiveyearstohelpnon-profitchildcarecentresmakeretrofitsandrenovationstoserveyoungerchildren.

• In2012-13,thegovernmentannouncedanadditional$90millioninvestmenttotransitionandmodernizethechildcaresectorasitadaptstofull-daykindergarten.

• From2012to2015,thegovernmentisinvesting$113milliontoconvertschoolspaceforlicensedchildcare.

Licensed Child Care in Ontario—Key Facts

• 47CMSMsandDSSABsareresponsibleforplanningandmanagingchildcareservicesatthemunicipallevel,withinprovinciallegislation,regulations,standardsandguidelines.

• TheOntariogovernmentprovidesfundingto56FirstNations,oneTribalCouncilandfourtransferpaymentagenciesforon-reservelicensedchildcare.

Child Care Modernization

• Thegovernmentistakingstepstorealizeitsvisionofamoreseamlessandintegratedsystemtosupportyoungchildrenandtheirfamiliesbymodernizingchildcare.

• Tohelpinformthenextstepsofchildcaremodern-ization,thegovernmenthasreleasedadiscussionpaper—Modernizing Child Care in Ontario: Sharing Conversations, Strengthening Partnerships, Working Together.

• Thediscussionpaperoutlinesthegovernment’slong-termvisionforchildcareandseeksfeedbackontargetedmedium-termobjectivestohelpachievethatvisionoverthenextthreeyears.

• ThediscussionpaperispostedonOntario’sRegulatoryRegistryuntilSept.24,2012andontheMinistryofEducation’swebsiteatwww.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/modernizing.html

Key Links

TheregulationthatgovernstheoperationoflicensedchildcareprogramsundertheDay Nurseries Actisavailableat:

• www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90d02_e.htm

• TheDay Nurseries Act for Child Care Supervisors of OntariowebsiteisdesignedtosupportsupervisorsinOntario’slicensedchildcarecentresbyhelpingthemtobetterunderstandprovinciallicensingrequire-ments.Apackageforprospectiveoperatorsonthewebsiteoutlineslicensingrequirementsforanewchildcarecentre.www.childcarelearning.on.ca

• TheEarlyLearningFrameworkwebsiteprovidessupportandresourcesforearlychildhoodeducatorsandotherprofessionalsastheyworkwithyoungchil-dreninearlychildhoodsettings:www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/oelf

• Ontario’slicensedchildcarewebsite,www.ontario.ca/licensedchildcare,providesinformationaboutlicensedchildcarecentresandprivate-homedaycareagencies,includingtheirmostrecentinspectionfindings.

• TheCollegeofEarlyChildhoodEducatorsisaprofessionalself-regulatorybodyforearlychildhoodeducatorsformedtoprotectthepublicinterestandfocusonqualityandstandardsinearlychildhoodcareandeducationsettings.www.collegeofece.on.ca

Child Care Legislation

• TheDay Nurseries ActisthelegislationthatgovernslicensedchildcareinOntario.Itsetsoutrequire-mentstoprotectthehealth,safetyandwell-beingofchildrenincare.

• TheChildCareQualityAssuranceandLicens-ingBranchoftheMinistryofEducationinspectslicensedchildcareprogramsatleastonceayear.Inspectionsarecarriedoutto:• assesscompliancewiththeDay Nurseries Act• investigatecomplaints,issuelicencesand

renewlicences• monitoroperatorswhoarehavingdifficulty

meetinglicensingstandards• InOntario,anadultmaycareforuptofiveunrelat-

edchildrenundertheageof10withoutneedingalicence.(Thisiscommonlyreferredtoasinformalchildcare.)Informalcaregiversarenotregulatedormonitored.However,licensingstaffwillinvestigatecomplaintsfromthepublicaboutapersonwhomightbeprovidingcaretomorethanfiveunrelatedchildrenwithoutalicence. Updated August 2012

More InformationVisitwww.ontario.ca/childcareformoreinformationaboutchildcareinOntario.