Update on Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care funding formula
On August 15, 2024, the provincial government released a new Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) funding formula. It takes effect January 1, 2025.
This is a significant transformation of the child care sector in Ontario. Find more information from the Province: More Child Care Fee Reductions Coming for Ontario Families (external link).
The provincial announcement commits to additional funding in 2025. The Province requires this funding be used to ensure families currently in CWELCC pay no more than $22 a day.
No new CWELCC spaces have been allocated in Halton as part of this announcement. We will continue to advocate to the provincial government to ensure as many Halton families as possible receive affordable child care.
Halton Region is reviewing the new provincial guidelines and the approach to implementing the new funding model.
We appreciate your patience during this time. Questions can be directed to childcareservices@halton.ca. You will receive a response as soon as possible.
Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care System
On March 28, 2022, the Federal and Provincial Governments announced a new funding agreement that will reduce the average cost of child care in Ontario.
Only families with eligible children under age 6 enrolled in participating child care programs will receive lower fees.
As of December 31, 2022, child care providers enrolled in CWELCC must reduce child care fees for eligible children by 52.75 per cent from their March 2022 rates to a minimum of $12 per day.
By March 2026, licensed child care fees will be lowered to an average of $10 per day.
Key Accomplishments
- 88% of Halton’s licensed child care programs (child care centres and home child care agencies) are enrolled in CWELCC. There are 272 sites representing a total of 18,639 spaces that are part of CWELCC in Halton.
- Child care fees have been reduced by 52.75% from March 2022 rates across CWELCC programs in Halton, providing significant savings for families.
- Parental contributions for families receiving fee subsidy for child care have also been reduced by 50%.
- Funding will be provided to ensure RECEs are paid at the 2024 wage floor of $23.86/hour for RECE program staff and $24.86/hour for RECE supervisors and RECE home visitors, and to support up to $2 per hour wage increase for eligible RECE staff in 2024.
Approved child care providers
For a list of child care providers in Halton enrolled in CWELCC, please select your community below.
2024 CWELCC Growth and Participation
The Ministry of Education has provided Halton Region with a directed growth plan, which outlines the number of community-based and school-based child care spaces Halton is permitted to add in CWELCC.
| Spaces |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
2026 |
Total spaces |
| School-based Spaces |
88 |
215 |
194 |
88 |
264 |
849 |
| Community Spaces |
0 |
190 |
0 |
0 |
347 |
537 |
| Total |
88 |
405 |
194 |
88 |
611 |
1,386 |
For 2024, there is no provincial funding to support enrollment of additional child care providers in CWELCC or for CWELCC-enrolled child care providers to expand and create additional community-based spaces in Halton Region.
Child care space allocations are reviewed annually with the Ministry.
It is anticipated that the next allocation of community-based spaces will be 347 spaces in 2026. Halton Region will develop a local directed growth plan which will identify priority neighborhoods for CWELCC expansion, guided by the Ministry of Education’s Access and Inclusion Framework.
School-based spaces are those located in schools and are determined through Ministry of Education’s capital planning process. Halton will add school based spaces each year up to 2026 in accordance with the Province’s directed growth plan, through school-based, child care construction projects which are already planned and underway.
Eligibility
Only families with eligible children enrolled in participating child care programs will receive lower fees. If your licensed child centre or licensed home child care agency does not participate, your provider is not required to lower your child care fees.
All eligible children receiving licensed home child care at a premises overseen by an agency are eligible for fee reductions (both agency-placed and privately-placed children).
Age criteria
Fee reduction funding is intended to support children under the age of six. Fees must be reduced for eligible children, which includes:
- Any child, until the last day of the month in which the child turns six years old (irrespective of the type of licensed child care program in which the child is enrolled).
- Up until June 30 in a calendar year, any child who:
- turns six years old between January 1 and June 30 in that calendar year; and
- is enrolled in a licensed infant, toddler, preschool, or kindergarten group, a licensed family age group, or home child care.
Child Care Fees and Reductions
As of December 31, 2022, participating sites are required to reduce child care fees by 52.75 per cent from March 2022 rates to a minimum of $12 per day.
Child care providers that enroll in CWELCC will receive funding from the enrollment date, with no funding provided towards retroactive rebates.
There are two types of child care fees: base fees and non-base fees.
Base fees
Base fees are mandatory costs that parents/caregivers must pay to receive child care. This includes anything a child care provider is required to provide under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (CCEYA), and any items or services that are part of the fee outlined in the child care provider's Parent Handbook. Base fees are eligible for fee reductions.
Non-base fees
Non-base fees are optional items or services that parents/caregivers are not required to pay to receive child care. For example, where a separate fee is charged for optional music classes. Non-base fees are not eligible for fee reductions.
Further information about base and non-base fees are available in the CWELCC Halton Region Guidelines for Child Care Operators 2024 (PDF file).
Families receiving fee subsidy
If your family has a child under the age of six in receipt of fee subsidy, you will see your parental contribution amounts reduced by 50% from the parental contribution charged prior to your child care provider’s participation in CWELCC.
If your child care provider does not participate in CWELCC, you will continue to receive your current fee subsidy without any change to your parental contribution.
Additional resources
Frequently Asked Questions
- My child care provider wants to enroll in CWELCC. When will my child care provider be able to enroll?
Enrollment for additional child care providers to join the system is currently closed as there is no provincial funding to support growth of CWELCC in Halton at this time.
Halton Region will continue to advocate to the provincial government for additional funding to support expansion of CWELCC spaces in Halton to meet demand.
- If my child care provider enrolls in CWELCC, will I receive a rebate for child care fees that I have already paid?
Child care providers that enroll into CWELCC will receive funding from the date of enrollment, with no funding provided towards retroactive rebates. For example, if a child care provider were to enroll on June 1, 2025, families would only receive lower fees from that date forward. Families would not receive rebates for care received prior to the date the child care provider enrolled.
- I have questions or concerns about my CWELCC fee reductions, who should I talk to?
Please contact your child care provider with any questions or concerns about your fee reductions.
- How can I find child care providers who have enrolled in CWELCC?
A list of child care providers in Halton approved to participate in CWELCC is available.
- When will the next child care fee reduction take place?
The Ministry has communicated that by March 2026, child care fees will be lowered to an average of $10 per day. Information about timelines for additional fee reductions will be shared on this webpage when available.
For additional information about child care options in Halton contact the Child Care Directory and Information Line service (external link).