Breaking down the Ontario Budget: The devil in the details
When the Ontario Budget was released on April 11th, it left many in the child care community with more questions than answers when it came to child care funding. Since then we have been waiting to see the full details of changes to Ontario child care funding. We now have some more information on child care funding changes, and, as we feared, the devil is in the details. Now that the Ministry of Education has publicly released breakdowns by municipality we can see that transfers to most municipalities are being cut, and total child care spending is cut immediately by over $80 million.
We have prepared two tables below that compare provincial child care spending in 2018 and 2019. Table 1 shows General Allocations; these are funds that are used for child care fee subsidies for low-income families, and operating costs. This funding is being reduced in 44 of 47 municipalities, and total general allocations across the province are being cut by over $40 million. In Table 2 we take into account other funding streams - eliminating fee stabilization funding, cuts to administration etc. When these changes are included we can see that total child care spending in Ontario is being cut immediately by over $80 million, and all but one municipality will receive a funding cut. When we take into account the total phase-out of fee stabilization, the cuts will total over $90 million.
Brace for Impact
We are still waiting for additional details on the breakdown of the general operating fund. Municipalities and child care operators are still just beginning to come to grips with what these funding changes will mean to programs. Once all municipalities crunch the numbers – as Toronto has – of the effect of changes to cost-shares, the impact of the funding cuts could be double these estimates.
It is clear that the Ford government has been playing a shell game with parents and child care providers. They promise parents a tax credit, but quietly eliminate funding that helps control child care fees and provides subsidies for low-income families. They maintained the wage enhancement grant but are reducing funding that keeps child care centre doors open.
We will continue to monitor funding announcements and will let our members know as soon as we hear more about local impacts.
We will continue to monitor funding announcements and will let our members know as soon as we hear more. As municipalities and providers grapple with the impact of these cuts, we anticipate further devils in the details. If you are concerned about these funding cuts, contact your MPP and Minister of Education Lisa Thompson. Even a short email or phone message makes a difference.
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TABLE 1. Ontario general allocations to licensed child care, 2018 and 2019 |
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|
Municipality (CMSM/DSSAB) |
General Allocation 2018 |
General Allocation 2019 |
Difference |
|
Corporation of the City of Brantford |
8,176,526 |
7,723,998 |
-452,528 |
|
City of Cornwall |
7,582,451 |
7,136,868 |
-445,583 |
|
City of Greater Sudbury |
15,758,252 |
15,118,380 |
-639,872 |
|
The City of Hamilton |
46,496,687 |
44,402,782 |
-2,093,905 |
|
Corporation of the City of Kawartha Lakes |
5,029,047 |
4,771,158 |
-257,889 |
|
Corporation of the City of Kingston |
8,702,592 |
8,192,644 |
-509,948 |
|
Corporation of the City of London |
31,897,007 |
30,689,329 |
-1,207,678 |
|
City of Ottawa |
77,673,855 |
75,393,319 |
-2,280,536 |
|
Corporation of the City of Peterborough |
8,363,274 |
7,981,770 |
-381,504 |
|
Corporation of the City of St. Thomas |
6,443,435 |
5,868,826 |
-574,609 |
|
Corporation of the City of Stratford |
4,372,166 |
4,071,731 |
-300,435 |
|
City of Toronto |
307,121,044 |
291,655,225 |
-15,465,819 |
|
Corporation of the City of Windsor |
30,568,434 |
28,629,326 |
-1,939,108 |
|
Corporation of the County of Bruce |
3,712,771 |
3,655,592 |
-57,179 |
|
Corporation of the County of Dufferin |
3,343,156 |
3,229,089 |
-114,067 |
|
Corporation of the County of Grey |
5,339,774 |
5,130,535 |
-209,239 |
|
Corporation of the County of Hastings |
8,750,076 |
8,339,451 |
-410,625 |
|
Corporation of the County of Huron |
3,612,560 |
3,356,825 |
-255,735 |
|
Corporation of the County of Lambton |
12,128,519 |
11,636,033 |
-492,486 |
|
County of Lanark |
4,293,020 |
3,786,655 |
-506,365 |
|
County of Lennox & Addington |
3,476,157 |
3,249,256 |
-226,901 |
|
County of Northumberland |
4,644,386 |
4,256,779 |
-387,607 |
|
County of Oxford |
5,919,272 |
5,599,595 |
-319,677 |
|
County of Renfrew |
5,684,207 |
5,425,672 |
-258,535 |
|
County of Simcoe |
26,125,236 |
25,242,725 |
-882,511 |
|
County of Wellington |
12,448,508 |
12,644,676 |
196,168 |
|
District Municipality of Muskoka |
3,667,862 |
3,466,984 |
-200,878 |
|
Corporation of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent |
11,656,482 |
11,183,163 |
-473,319 |
|
The Corporation of Norfolk County |
5,869,582 |
5,514,604 |
-354,978 |
|
Regional Municipality of Durham |
39,385,436 |
38,501,992 |
-883,444 |
|
Regional Municipality of Halton |
31,737,687 |
32,070,310 |
332,623 |
|
Regional Municipality of Niagara |
28,484,010 |
27,233,653 |
-1,250,357 |
|
Regional Municipality of Peel |
110,533,614 |
106,353,679 |
-4,179,935 |
|
Regional Municipality of Waterloo |
33,368,975 |
33,228,581 |
-140,394 |
|
Regional Municipality of York |
80,008,218 |
79,016,021 |
-992,197 |
|
United Counties of Leeds & Grenville |
5,338,161 |
5,028,635 |
-309,526 |
|
United Counties of Prescott & Russell |
6,053,264 |
5,675,111 |
-378,153 |
|
Algoma District Services Administration Board |
3,901,207 |
3,988,179 |
86,972 |
|
District of Cochrane Social Service Administration Board |
7,679,650 |
7,508,380 |
-171,270 |
|
District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board |
7,297,199 |
7,016,869 |
-280,330 |
|
District of Parry Sound Social Services Administration Board |
4,170,982 |
4,034,125 |
-136,857 |
|
District of Sault Ste Marie Social Services Administration Board |
5,588,894 |
5,398,723 |
-190,171 |
|
District of Timiskaming Social Services Administration Board |
5,722,158 |
5,491,866 |
-230,292 |
|
Kenora District Services Board |
5,401,440 |
5,427,223 |
25,783 |
|
Manitoulin-Sudbury District Social Services Administration Board |
4,456,270 |
4,385,918 |
-70,352 |
|
Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board |
2,668,101 |
2,524,478 |
-143,623 |
|
District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board |
10,922,596 |
10,700,552 |
-222,044 |
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PROVINCIAL TOTAL |
1,071,574,200 |
1,030,937,285 |
-40,636,915 |
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TABLE 2. Total Ontario child care funding, 2018 and 2019 |
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|
Municipality (CMSM/DSSAB) |
Total Funding 2018 |
Total Funding 2019 |
Difference |
|
Corporation of the City of Brantford |
13,115,442 |
12,430,114 |
-685,328 |
|
City of Cornwall |
11,444,547 |
10,723,189 |
-721,358 |
|
City of Greater Sudbury |
23,343,371 |
22,029,176 |
-1,314,195 |
|
The City of Hamilton |
72,195,010 |
68,765,483 |
-3,429,527 |
|
Corporation of the City of Kawartha Lakes |
7,512,097 |
7,149,978 |
-362,119 |
|
Corporation of the City of Kingston |
14,401,560 |
13,189,052 |
-1,212,508 |
|
Corporation of the City of London |
51,122,672 |
48,806,622 |
-2,316,050 |
|
City of Ottawa |
126,472,512 |
121,911,048 |
-4,561,464 |
|
Corporation of the City of Peterborough |
13,370,074 |
12,705,573 |
-664,501 |
|
Corporation of the City of St. Thomas |
10,036,028 |
9,230,987 |
-805,041 |
|
Corporation of the City of Stratford |
6,425,424 |
6,117,484 |
-307,940 |
|
City of Toronto |
460,668,131 |
433,115,125 |
-27,553,006 |
|
Corporation of the City of Windsor |
46,114,953 |
43,676,276 |
-2,438,677 |
|
Corporation of the County of Bruce |
6,004,654 |
5,923,804 |
-80,850 |
|
Corporation of the County of Dufferin |
5,252,371 |
5,111,339 |
-141,032 |
|
Corporation of the County of Grey |
8,800,778 |
8,474,188 |
-326,590 |
|
Corporation of the County of Hastings |
13,231,203 |
12,783,812 |
-447,391 |
|
Corporation of the County of Huron |
5,674,309 |
5,173,765 |
-500,544 |
|
Corporation of the County of Lambton |
17,097,576 |
16,266,972 |
-830,604 |
|
County of Lanark |
6,835,013 |
6,361,437 |
-473,576 |
|
County of Lennox & Addington |
5,420,287 |
5,056,010 |
-364,277 |
|
County of Northumberland |
6,861,191 |
6,459,260 |
-401,931 |
|
County of Oxford |
8,847,296 |
8,334,220 |
-513,076 |
|
County of Renfrew |
8,809,286 |
8,388,703 |
-420,583 |
|
County of Simcoe |
41,781,411 |
40,088,170 |
-1,693,241 |
|
County of Wellington |
19,545,516 |
19,392,561 |
-152,955 |
|
District Municipality of Muskoka |
5,475,799 |
5,291,979 |
-183,820 |
|
Corporation of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent |
15,564,238 |
14,995,028 |
-569,210 |
|
The Corporation of Norfolk County |
9,096,961 |
8,651,611 |
-445,350 |
|
Regional Municipality of Durham |
65,361,547 |
63,510,485 |
-1,851,062 |
|
Regional Municipality of Halton |
56,592,471 |
54,294,330 |
-2,298,141 |
|
Regional Municipality of Niagara |
42,965,117 |
40,519,596 |
-2,445,521 |
|
Regional Municipality of Peel |
171,662,193 |
162,900,069 |
-8,762,124 |
|
Regional Municipality of Waterloo |
54,926,560 |
52,639,822 |
-2,286,738 |
|
Regional Municipality of York |
133,582,369 |
129,215,314 |
-4,367,055 |
|
United Counties of Leeds & Grenville |
8,626,440 |
8,077,188 |
-549,252 |
|
United Counties of Prescott & Russell |
10,290,682 |
9,440,343 |
-850,339 |
|
Algoma District Services Administration Board |
5,519,027 |
5,638,132 |
119,105 |
|
District of Cochrane Social Service Administration Board |
11,374,111 |
11,044,411 |
-329,700 |
|
District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board |
11,897,562 |
11,239,913 |
-657,649 |
|
District of Parry Sound Social Services Administration Board |
5,941,004 |
5,686,585 |
-254,419 |
|
District of Sault Ste Marie Social Services Administration Board |
8,561,210 |
8,230,193 |
-331,017 |
|
District of Timiskaming Social Services Administration Board |
7,969,666 |
7,625,461 |
-344,205 |
|
Kenora District Services Board |
7,493,537 |
7,455,092 |
-38,445 |
|
Manitoulin-Sudbury District Social Services Administration Board |
6,424,465 |
6,387,491 |
-36,974 |
|
Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board |
3,728,158 |
3,519,696 |
-208,462 |
|
District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board |
16,103,935 |
15,449,476 |
-654,459 |
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PROVINCIAL TOTAL |
$1,669,539,764 |
$1,589,476,563 |
-$80,063,201 |