Ontario Signs on to National Child Care Agreement

OMSSA and its 47 Service System Managers are pleased the Governments of Ontario and Canada have agreed to a deal on national child care.

OMSSA and its members are ready to work in partnership with the province and federal government to lend our expertise and experience to co-designing and implementing this deal that promotes increased affordability, allows for the recruiting and retaining of Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs), promotes quality through the licensed system, expands capacity and assists with economic recovery and labour force participation. The strength of OMSSA members is in the knowledge they have as Service System Managers to develop a plan that meets the unique needs of Ontario. 

The deal was signed by Ontario Minister of Education Stephen Lecce and Federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, with Premier Doug Ford, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland present. Some key highlights of the deal include:
 

• 25% fee reduction to a minimum of $12 per day retroactive to April 1, 2022 (rebate cheques to be sent to parents in May).
• 50% fee reduction before the end of 2022.
• $10 per day average child care fee before September 2025.
• $13.2B investment over six years, $10.2B over five years. $2.9B secured for an additional year.
• 86,000 new child care spaces (including 15,000 already promised in 2019).
• Queen’s Park to work with municipalities to enroll 5000 licensed and home care spaces into the program before September 1, 2022.
• Approximate savings of $6300 per child per year.
• Costs reviewed after three years.
• Wage increase for RECEs. Wage Floor of $18 for RECEs and $25 for supervisors. $1 increase per year until 2025.
• Deal supports for-profit and non-profit spaces.
• “Flexibility” offered in year two for Ontario.
• Additional investments expected in the federal budget to increase capacity in Ontario and other provinces. 
• Ontario will introduce reforms that support the needs of diverse and underserved populations, including low-income, francophone, Indigenous, Black, other racialized and newcomer communities, as well as vulnerable and special needs children.

OMSSA and the Ministry of Education will report additional details as they become available.