Overview
On March 28, 2022, the Province of Ontario entered into an agreement with the Government of Canada to deliver affordable, inclusive, and high-quality licensed child care for families in Ontario.
Funding under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) Agreement will be used to build and leverage the success of Ontario’s existing early learning and child care system by increasing quality, accessibility, affordability and inclusivity in early learning and child care, towards achieving the objectives of:
- Providing a 25% fee reduction for parents retroactive to April 1, 2022, building to a 50% reduction in average base fees (based on 2020 levels), and reaching an average parent fee of $10 a day by 2025-2026 for licensed child care spaces.
- Creating 86,000 new high quality, affordable licensed child care spaces (relative to 2019 levels), predominantly through non-profit licensed child care.
- Addressing barriers to provide inclusive child care.
- Valuing the early childhood workforce and providing them with training and development opportunities.
Enrolment in the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care System
If you are interested in opening a licensed child care centre or licensed home child care agency, you can request enrolment in the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care System.
The Province of Ontario has made regulatory amendments to O. Reg. 137/15 that now require new licensed programmes and/or new spaces for existing programmes to be consistent with the service system manager’s Directed Growth Plan to be permitted to enrol in CWELCC. Please carefully review this information.
Requesting Enrolment in CWELCC
Requesting enrolment into the CWELCC System occurs through submission of a Directed Growth Application Form. Submission deadlines are:
- June 30, 2024
- August 31, 2024
- October 31, 2024
Directed Growth Applications may be conditionally approved following review. Conditionally approved Directed Growth Applications are invited to submit a Start-Up Grant application.
Completed Directed Growth applications should be submitted to CEYD@wellington.ca.
CWELCC Start-Up Grants
Funding for Start-Up Grants is additionally available to support the creation of new licensed spaces approved for enrolment in CWELCC in alignment with the Directed Growth Plan for the Wellington Service Delivery Area. Child care operators, including child care centres and home child care agencies with an approved Directed Growth Application will be requested to complete a CWELCC Start-Up Grant application.
Completed CWELCC Start-Up Grant applications should be submitted to CEYD@wellington.ca.
Forms and Applications
Note: The CWELCC Start-Up Grants Application should only be submitted following approval of a CWELCC Directed Growth Plan Application
Wellington's CWELCC Resources
- Wellington Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Guidelines
- Wellington Directed Growth Plan
- CWELCC Start-Up Grants Information and Guidelines
- Guidelines for Preparing an Effective Business Plan
- Operating Budget Worksheet
The Guidelines for Preparing and Effective Business Plan and Operating Budget Worksheet are intended as supports in planning for the opening of your child care business
Not-for-Profit Information
The following information is provided for New Not-for-Profit Child Care Corporations and provides information on Building a Not-for-Profit Board of Directors, Key Tasks for New Board of Directors, Conflict of Interest policy, and funding requirements.
Requirements for New Not-for-Profit Child Care Corporations
Other Resources
- Ministry of Education – Start a Child Care Program
- Ministry of Education – Canada-Ontario early years and child care agreement
Who to Contact:
Children’s Early Years
CEYD@wellington.ca