District Of Muskoka Starts Preparing For Canada-Wide Early Learning And Child Care

On Monday, March 28^th the Province of Ontario announced that they had reached a deal with the Federal government through the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care agreement.

This is a historic agreement between the Province and Federal governments.  Both governments have a shared vision that every child deserves the best start in life.  CWELCC means that eligible families, those with children aged 0-5 enrolled in a participating licensed child care program in Ontario will have access to more affordable, inclusive, and high-quality learning and child care.

What does this mean for Muskoka?

The District Municipality of Muskoka will be working closely with the provincial government and licensed child care operators to work towards an average of $10 a day/child for eligible families by the end of 2025.

Starting on April 1, 2022, families who are enrolled with a licensed participating operator will receive up to a 25% reduction in fees, with an additional reduction of up to 25% by the end of 2022.  By the end of this year, the average family in licensed child care could see savings of $6,000 per year, per child.

Understanding that $10 a day may not be affordable for everyone, the Provincial Fee Subsidy program administered by the District will remain in place for lower-income families.  CWELCC will also provide additional support for children with various vulnerabilities and special needs.

CWELCC will add 86,000 spaces across the province.  The District will work with the Province to prioritize child care expansion in areas of greatest need. The new funding will assist with providing more quality child care in Muskoka by increasing wages for Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECE) and workforce development in Muskoka.

Watch for future updates about Early Learning and Child Care in Muskoka at: https://www.muskoka.on.ca/en/children-and-seniors/children-s-programs-and-services.aspx