Lower fees for families who use licensed child care
Updates on eligibility and refunds for the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system)
Municipalities in Ontario are working with licensed child care operators to enroll them in the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system. By participating in the new system, operators will be able to reduce fees for parents. To be eligible for lower child care fees, children must be enrolled in a licensed centre or home child care program that chooses to participate in the CWELCC system.
Who’s eligible
Children who are under the age of six
Children who turn six years old are eligible until June 30 of that calendar year
If you have a child of eligible age and your agency or centre is approved a final reduction as all child care fees move towards an average of $10 a day by September 2025.
Learn more about the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care agreement and who is eligible
Licensed Child Care Options
There are many licensed child care options available to families, in Ontario, there area Licensed centre-based and home-based child care is available for children.
Child Care Fee Subsidy may be available for eligible families with children in licensed child care.
Full-Day Child Care Centres
Child care centres provide full-day child care, usually for 12 months of the year. Some centres also offer part-time care, nursery school programs, temporary care services, as well as school-age or camp programs. These centres must be licensed, whether they are operated by a private corporation or a non-profit, incorporated board of directors.
Licensed home-based agency
Individual home caregivers are not licensed by the Ministry of Education, but are contracted by home child care agencies that are licensed by the Ministry.
Home child care agencies recruit, screen, approve and supervise caregivers who provide child care in their own homes for children from birth to under 13 years of age. It is the agency that is licensed and responsible for ensuring each home meets Child Care and Early Years Act standards. The Child Care and Early Years Act governs the operation of child care centres, or nursery school programs, in Ontario. Child care centres, or nursery school programs, that have more than five children under age 10, must obtain a licence from Ontario’s Ministry of Education.
Homes are visited and monitored regularly by home child care agencies and are subject to spot checks. Homes are government-regulated and meet specific standards
Caregivers must meet a set of standards including police checks
The number and ages of children in care is regulated
The hours of care are flexible
Siblings can be placed together
There are smaller groups of children cared for per home, with a a maximum of six children per home
Financial support may be available to families who qualify
Tax receipts are provided
Nursery School Programs
Nursery schools are licensed, part-day programs for more than five children between the ages of 2 and a half and five years of age. They usually only run during the school year from September to June.
Selecting Quality Child Care
For information on selecting quality child care, Contact us to find out more.
