The Ministry of Education 

The number one priority of the OCBCC is securing sufficient funding for a universal, affordable, high quality, not-for-profit system of early learning and child care.

Over the last several years, you have joined us in demonstrating the financial impacts of current underfunding and advocating for more funding. To all the parents, staff, community members, students and others thank you! Our work together has made a big difference.

There are now several funding initiatives to stabilize child care programs - most notably, the $242 million dollars (over 3 years) committed in the 2012 Ontario budget as a result of negotiations between the Ontario New Democratic Party and the Ontario Liberal Party. 

Original Plan for Child Care Stabilization:

April 2010: The provincial government’s first announcement funding that would grow in proportion to the implementation of full-day kindergarten. As full-day kindergarten reaches 50% implementation this year, in 2012-2013 the allocation to CMSM’s and DSSAB’s will be approximately $25 million in new fee subsidies and $6 million in capital.

- new permanent provincial funding for additional fee subsidies (growing to $51 million) over five years.

- one-time only provincial funding for capital (growing to $12 million) over five years.

2012 Ontario Budget: New one–time only funding for the next three years to stabilize child care:

The funding allocated for the 2012-13 fiscal year was $90 million. The breakdowns of this funding below are on top of previous funding mentioned above.

Fall to Dec 31 – CMSM’s and DSSAB’s have received:

• $15 million in unrestricted funding that can be spent on wage subsidy, increased per diems, funding to sustain child care centres with temporary low enrolment.  *** Be sure to check how your CMSM or DSSAB will spend this funding, some will follow existing service plans, others may pass new plans through City or Regional Councils.
• $8 million in funding restricted to minor capital, health and safety, business transformation (addressing legal costs related to mergers, lease terminations etc).  *** Many CMSM’s and DSSAB’s will be using an application process to allocate this funding.

January 2013 - CMSM's and DSSAB's are scheduled to receive:

• $50 million pending a review of the funding formula for child care
• $12 million in unrestricted funding.

2013-14 funding allocation: $68 million

2014-15 funding allocation: $84 million

New Capital Funding for Child Care in Schools

An additional $113 million in capital funding has been allotted for school boards (over three years) to support a Schools-First Child Care Capital Retrofit Policy. This funding is intended to help transform child care programs in schools from spaces for 4 and 5 year-olds to programs for younger children.

Municipal Service managers and school boards are responsible for developing a child care plan for minor capital for child care centres in schools. School boards must apply for funding before January 14, 2013 and the money must be spent by August 31, 2015. Funding is very limited and every school board has been allocated a specific number of spaces to convert.

If you think your program is a good candidate, you should talk to your municipal service manager right away.

To read the report from the Ministry of Education regarding this funding, click here.