OMSSA Responds to Bill 66, Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act


January 17, 2019

Following consultation with members, OMSSA has shared its response and recommendations to the Honourable Todd Smith, Ontario's Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, regarding Bill 66, Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act, which, if passed, would result in changes to the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014, among other areas. 

OMSSA recognizes and appreciates the Province’s intention to increase access to child care and supports many of the recommended changes.

In our response, OMSSA expressed support for the Province's move to allow authorized recreation providers to serve four and five-year-olds, helping to align the age requirements for all before and/or after school programs, filling an important gap. 

The submission also highlighted members' concerns around children’s safety and quality of child care, particularly with respect to increasing the amount of children under age two allowed under the supervision of  unlicensed and informal child care providers, where oversight and standards do not exist.

Read the Full Submission (PDF)
 

December 6, 2018

The Ontario government introduced the “Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act” in parliament today, which, if passed, would result in changes to the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014, among other areas. 

Relevant changes for Ontario's children's services sector are highlighted below:
 

  • Removing restrictions on home-based and unlicensed child care providers, increasing flexibility in the number and ages of children they can care for.

  • Restrictions on the number of children allowed in one home-based child care provider or one unlicensed child care provider's care under the age of two would be increased from two children to three.

  • Restrictions on the number of children allowed in two home-based child care provider's care under the age of two would be increased from four children to six.

  • Lowering the age of children that authorized recreation programs can serve from six to four, allowing children who are four years old to take part for up to three hours in authorized recreation programs before and after school. 

  • Repealing paragraph 2 of subsection 259 (2) of the Education Act, which provides that a board must ensure that a third party program operated for the purposes of section 259 of the Act is led by an early childhood educator or another person who meets criteria set out in a regulation made under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014. 
     

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