EXCERPTS
Today, Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, announced that the province's public and private sectors created over 19,000 licensed child care spaces in 2018-19, according to a new report from the Ministry of Education.
Research shows a clear link between a solid foundation in children's early years and their long-term development and success. That is why Ontario is committed to improving access to child care, giving parents more choice and making high quality programs affordable.
"Our government is committed to making life easier for families and that means improving access to child care options," said Minister Lecce. "Today's announcement of over 19,000 new child care spaces means that more families will be able to choose the kind of care that is best for their children so they can go to work, run a business or study to acquire new skills."
"The creation of new child care spaces - by both the public and private sectors - is great news for the families of this province," said Jill Dunlop, Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues. "Our government is taking an inclusive approach to helping them succeed and remains committed to providing child care options to meet the diversity of needs across Ontario."
"As a childcare and preschool centre, we understand the demands placed on modern working parents and the challenges of balancing home, work and what's best for our children. We applaud Minister Lecce for making it easier for child care providers to thrive, grow and succeed. That means more child care spaces for families," said Areti Gagaoudakis, co-founder and Chief Kids Officer of Kids Childcare + Preschool.
In 2019, Ontario announced new steps to improve access to child care options for parents. The government will commit up to $1 billion over five years to create up to 30,000 new child care spaces in schools across the province. As well, the government introduced the new Ontario Childcare Access and Relief from Expenses (CARE) tax credit, which will provide approximately 300,000 families with up to 75% of their eligible child care expenses.
Quick Facts
- Ontario’s total 2019-20 budget for child care and early years is more than $2 billion.
- In addition to the child care tax credit, the Child Care Expense Deduction provides added tax relief for eligible child care expenses.
- The province has allocated $208 million in 2019 to help retain Registered Early Childhood Educators within Ontario’s child care system, and support access to stable, high-quality child care programs.
- In 2018-19, Ontario received $146.3 million in federal funding under the Canada-Ontario Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.