Over 1,800 local children are benefitting from decreased child care fees as a result of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) program.
The CWELCC program will reduce child care fees for children ages 6 and under to an average of $10 a day by September 2025, while also raising base wages for registered early childhood educators.
The program, which was announced by the provincial and federal governments in March 2022, was open to all licensed child care operators serving children ages six and under in Brantford-Brant.
In the City of Brantford and County of Brant, 54 out of 57 licensed child care sites, including licensed home child care providers, have enrolled in the program. Meaning that 94 per cent of licensed child care spaces in Brantford-Brant are being provided at a reduced fee because of the CWELCC program. The average cost of child care has decreased from $1,026 per month in March 2022 to $485 per month as of January 2023, with the eventual goal of averaging $10 a day.
“Building Our Community from the Kids Up, our 10 Year Child Care and Early Years plan, identifies affordable quality child care as a key priority,” said Michelle Connor, Manager of Children’s Services at the City of Brantford. “The City of Brantford is thrilled that the majority of child care operators in our community have opted into the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care program, supporting local children and families.”
Additionally, 218 local Early Childhood Educators are benefitting from a newly implemented wage floor of $19 per hour in 2023 with a $1 increase each year until 2025 for up to $25 per hour.
Families seeking child care are encouraged to register on the OneList Child Care waitlist where information about local licensed child cares, including their participation in the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Program, can be found. Families can register at multiple child care locations through one application at Brantford.ca/ChildrensServices.
Quick Facts
- On March 28, 2022, the provincial and federal governments announced an agreement to implement the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) program funding in Ontario.
- The program is designed to support Ontario’s children, families, employers and the child care sector to provide high-quality, affordable, accessible and inclusive licensed child care programs.
- All licensed non-profit, for-profit and municipal child care operators in Brantford and Brant County were eligible to apply to participate in CWELCC by November 1, 2022.
