Ontario Announces New Child Care Workforce Strategy and Safe Arrival and Dismissal Policy

Major enhancements to wages and working conditions supporting greater access to affordable and safe child care

AJAX, ON — The Ontario government is launching the most significant and comprehensive Child Care Workforce Strategy in the province’s history. Supported by funding through the Canada-Ontario Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, Ontario’s plan will deliver increased wages to Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) and a multipronged strategy to recruit and retain qualified educators.

The government of Ontario is also taking action to further protect the safety of children by requiring all licensed child care operators to implement a Safe Arrival and Dismissal Policy by January 1, 2024. This will ensure that when a child does not arrive at the licensed child care program or is not picked up as expected, parents will be informed in line with existing protocols within Ontario’s publicly funded schools. This closes a gap that will protect children from exceptional and preventable tragedies.

“Following the heartbreaking tragedy of the loss of a child, we have the responsibility and obligation to enhance the safety of our youngest learners in child care,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. “Every day, Early Childhood Educators make a tremendous difference in the growth and development of children, which is why our government is unveiling the most comprehensive workforce strategy to recruit and retain child care workers. By hiring more ECEs, our government will continue with our plan to keep reducing fees for parents and increasing access to affordable and safe child care for parents.”

“We recognize the tireless dedication of our child care professionals, whose unwavering commitment shapes our children’s formative years,” said Patrice Barnes, MPP for Ajax and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Education. “Our strategy for increased compensation aims to recognize their efforts, valuing their crucial role in early childhood development and ensuring they feel appreciated and supported.”

“If we are to succeed in building an early learning and child care system for families across the country, we need a well-compensated and valued early childhood workforce,” said Jenna Sudds, Canada’s Minister of Families, Children and Social Development. “Early childhood educators are highly skilled professionals who do incredible work in caring for our children, and that work needs to be valued and recognized here in Ontario, and right across the country. Today’s announced strategy is an important step in ensuring that Ontario can recruit, retain and recognize this vital workforce.”

After extensive consultation, the province has developed a workforce strategy that responds to the issues and priorities of the sector. Starting in 2024, initiatives in the strategy include:

Increasing the starting wage for RECEs employed by child care operators enrolled in the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system to $23.86/hour in 2024 from the planned $20/hour
Extending the eligibility ceiling for a $1/hour increase so more RECEs can benefit
Supporting entry into the profession and career development
Cutting red tape for employers and providing more flexibility in staffing their programs
Launching a promotional campaign to bolster awareness and value of the child care profession

This wage enhancement builds on actions taken by the province through the introduction in 2022 of a new wage floor for RECEs working in settings participating in the CWELCC system which includes annual $1/hour wage increases beginning in 2023.

The announcement builds on Ontario’s leadership having already delivered on a multitude of commitments to Ontario families under the CWELCC system, including a 50 per cent reduction on average in child care fees representing $6,000 to $10,000 in savings per child, the ongoing creation of 86,000 new licensed spaces, and support for parental choice in child care.

Investments from the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada in the child care and early years system for 2024 will total nearly $4 billion. Funding will support the implementation of previously announced fee reductions, workforce supports, and other measures. This investment represents a significant increase of $42 million over 2023 and will ensure Ontario is providing competitive starting wages for RECEs in Canada, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to further valuing and ultimately retaining this critical workforce.

The province remains committed to ensuring the safety of Ontario’s youngest learners and the success of the CWELCC system. We will continue to work with municipalities and the sector to ensure affordable child care is available in communities where it is needed most. As the strategy rolls out, Ontario will track and monitor the strategy’s impact on RECE recruitment and retention.

QUICK FACTS

In March 2022, Ontario secured a six-year, $13.2-billion agreement with the federal government which will lower fees for families to an average of $10 a day. Ontario aims to reach that target by September 2025. In December 2022, as part of that agreement, Ontario announced a targeted plan to create thousands of new licensed child care spaces, with a focus on increasing access to Ontario families.
The province continues to invest $203 million per year through the Wage Enhancement Grant/Home Child Care Enhancement Grant to support higher staff wages – including RECEs working in settings that have opted-out of CWELCC and non-RECEs.
The Ontario government has streamlined the application process for new child care operators. When they apply for a licence, they will learn about their eligibility for CWELCC funding before investing heavily in becoming licensed. The applicants will also have to submit key municipal approvals with their application.
There are currently more than 5,500 licensed child care centres, 145 licensed home child care agencies, and around 473,000 licensed spaces in Ontario.

QUOTES

“A child care workforce strategy is something YMCAs in Ontario have long advocated for and we’re excited to see the government of Ontario recognize the value of educators and commit to new funding for compensation and retention efforts. This is a positive step to help address long-standing workforce shortages across the child care sector. We look forward to continuing to work together with the province to achieve our collective goal of providing more families with access to affordable, sustainable, high-quality child care.”
Lesley Davidson | President of YMCA Ontario and President & CEO of YMCA of Greater Toronto

“The College of Early Childhood Educators is pleased to see the government’s workforce strategy recognizes that qualified, professional educators are essential to high-quality early learning and care programs, and to the safety and well-being of children. We are encouraged that the strategy seeks to address some of the long-standing systemic challenges that contribute to attrition in the profession and the current workforce crisis in child care. As the independent public-interest body responsible for registering and regulating RECEs in Ontario, we look forward to learning more about the details of the workforce strategy, and to supporting the successful implementation of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Program in the interests of children and families across Ontario.”
Beth Deazely | Registrar and CEO, College of Early Childhood Educators

“Today’s announcement marks a substantial improvement for child safety in the province of Ontario and reinforces our government’s dedication to ensuring the safety and welfare of our children while supporting parents with reduced child care fees. Our government remains steadfast in its commitment to building a brighter future for families by expanding child care spaces in areas that need them the most and ensuring the safety of children across the province.”
Lorne Coe | MPP for Whitby and Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier

“Having a child can impact a woman’s earnings, career choices and access to leadership positions. Access to high-quality child care plays a key role in supporting families’ economic prosperity and increasing avenues for women to help grow Ontario’s economy. I’m proud that today’s expansion of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care program is supporting women’s success by increasing our participation in the workforce and building a stronger Ontario. Because when women succeed, Ontario succeeds. “
Charmaine Williams | MPP for Brampton Centre and Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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Education and Training

Learn about Ontario’s early years, education and training systems. Includes information on child care, elementary schools, secondary schools, colleges, universities, skills training and financial aid. Learn more

MEDIA CONTACT/MORE INFORMATION

Sameer Awan | Manager of Stakeholder Relations, Executive Assistant & Office Manager

416-949-1261 | sameer.awan@pc.ola.org

Office of Patrice Barnes, MPP Ajax