Download - Licensed child care in Ontario--key facts
How Child Care Works in Ontario
• TheOntarioMinistryofEducationisresponsibleforfunding,licensinganddevelopingpolicytosupporttheprovisionoflicensedchildcare.
• TheprovinceprovidesfundingtomunicipalitiesandFirstNationsforchildcarefeesubsidies,wagesubsi-dies,specialneedsresourcingandadministration.
Overview of child care in Ontario
• TherearetwooptionsforregulatedchildcareinOntario:• centre-basedlicensedchildcare• home-basedchildcareassociatedwithalicensedprivate-homedaycareagency
• Licensedchildcareprogramsareoperatedbynon-profitandfor-profitproviders,schoolboards,FirstNationsandmunicipalities.
• AsofMarch2012,thereare:• 4,922licensedchildcarecentres• 132licensedprivate-homedaycareagencies• 275,900spacesinlicensedchildcarecentres• 17,000childrenenrolledinhome-basedcareasso-ciatedwithlicensedprivate-homedaycareagencies
Child Care Funding
• Since2003,provincialchildcarefundinghasin-creasedby90percent,tomorethan$1billion.
• Thegovernmenthasintroducedtransitionfunding,growingto$51millionannuallyatfullimplemen-tation,tohelpthechildcaresectordealwiththeimpactoffull-daykindergarten.
• Inaddition,thegovernmentisinvesting$12millionoverfiveyearstohelpnon-profitchildcarecentresmakeretrofitsandrenovationstoserveyoungerchildren.
• In2012-13,thegovernmentannouncedanadditional$90millioninvestmenttotransitionandmodernizethechildcaresectorasitadaptstofull-daykindergarten.
• From2012to2015,thegovernmentisinvesting$113milliontoconvertschoolspaceforlicensedchildcare.
Licensed Child Care in Ontario—Key Facts
• 47CMSMsandDSSABsareresponsibleforplanningandmanagingchildcareservicesatthemunicipallevel,withinprovinciallegislation,regulations,standardsandguidelines.
• TheOntariogovernmentprovidesfundingto56FirstNations,oneTribalCouncilandfourtransferpaymentagenciesforon-reservelicensedchildcare.
Child Care Modernization
• Thegovernmentistakingstepstorealizeitsvisionofamoreseamlessandintegratedsystemtosupportyoungchildrenandtheirfamiliesbymodernizingchildcare.
• Tohelpinformthenextstepsofchildcaremodern-ization,thegovernmenthasreleasedadiscussionpaper—Modernizing Child Care in Ontario: Sharing Conversations, Strengthening Partnerships, Working Together.
• Thediscussionpaperoutlinesthegovernment’slong-termvisionforchildcareandseeksfeedbackontargetedmedium-termobjectivestohelpachievethatvisionoverthenextthreeyears.
• ThediscussionpaperispostedonOntario’sRegulatoryRegistryuntilSept.24,2012andontheMinistryofEducation’swebsiteatwww.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/modernizing.html
Key Links
TheregulationthatgovernstheoperationoflicensedchildcareprogramsundertheDay Nurseries Actisavailableat:
• www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90d02_e.htm
• TheDay Nurseries Act for Child Care Supervisors of OntariowebsiteisdesignedtosupportsupervisorsinOntario’slicensedchildcarecentresbyhelpingthemtobetterunderstandprovinciallicensingrequire-ments.Apackageforprospectiveoperatorsonthewebsiteoutlineslicensingrequirementsforanewchildcarecentre.www.childcarelearning.on.ca
• TheEarlyLearningFrameworkwebsiteprovidessupportandresourcesforearlychildhoodeducatorsandotherprofessionalsastheyworkwithyoungchil-dreninearlychildhoodsettings:www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/oelf
• Ontario’slicensedchildcarewebsite,www.ontario.ca/licensedchildcare,providesinformationaboutlicensedchildcarecentresandprivate-homedaycareagencies,includingtheirmostrecentinspectionfindings.
• TheCollegeofEarlyChildhoodEducatorsisaprofessionalself-regulatorybodyforearlychildhoodeducatorsformedtoprotectthepublicinterestandfocusonqualityandstandardsinearlychildhoodcareandeducationsettings.www.collegeofece.on.ca
Child Care Legislation
• TheDay Nurseries ActisthelegislationthatgovernslicensedchildcareinOntario.Itsetsoutrequire-mentstoprotectthehealth,safetyandwell-beingofchildrenincare.
• TheChildCareQualityAssuranceandLicens-ingBranchoftheMinistryofEducationinspectslicensedchildcareprogramsatleastonceayear.Inspectionsarecarriedoutto:• assesscompliancewiththeDay Nurseries Act• investigatecomplaints,issuelicencesand
renewlicences• monitoroperatorswhoarehavingdifficulty
meetinglicensingstandards• InOntario,anadultmaycareforuptofiveunrelat-
edchildrenundertheageof10withoutneedingalicence.(Thisiscommonlyreferredtoasinformalchildcare.)Informalcaregiversarenotregulatedormonitored.However,licensingstaffwillinvestigatecomplaintsfromthepublicaboutapersonwhomightbeprovidingcaretomorethanfiveunrelatedchildrenwithoutalicence. Updated August 2012
More InformationVisitwww.ontario.ca/childcareformoreinformationaboutchildcareinOntario.