The Ontario perspective on changes to early learning and child-care

Changes to child-care in Canada: the Ontario perspective

Earlier this year, Ontario became the last province to sign a $13.2 billion dollar deal with the federal government, which aims to fund child-care over the next six years. Ontarian families were scheduled to receive the first of several rebates recently, with a further fee reduction of 50 percent coming in by the end of 2022.

The goal is to have child-care fees total an average of $10 per day, by September 2025. Licensed operators looking to opt into this program have until November 1 to agree to the deal, a change from the original September 1 deadline.

Regulatory considerations

Despite delays, many organizations praise the necessity of a daycare plan to better serve families.

The College of Early Childhood Educators, Canada’s only regulatory body that licenses professionals in the sector, gives a nod to the deal made between both levels of government.

In a press release, the College says that it is an “important agreement that when fully implemented will make a significant difference in the lives of children and families.”

Several elements of the deal complement the College’s aims, including the highlighted affordability of servicing to Ontarian families, as well as granting access to high-quality childcare in the province. Dr. Cynthia Abel, Deputy Registrar and Director of Registration, says that ensuring quality child-care is prioritized remains a key focus of the deal.

“Staffing is a key component of any quality program, and it’s that interaction between the educator and children that creates a quality environment,” Abel says. “Investing in staffing is important, to ensure that licensed operators can adequately support kids and their families.”

Working together for families

Like many other professions, COVID-19 has strained resources and affected operators’ ability to do their jobs effectively. From burnout, to understaffing, the new program has brought forth several mechanisms of tangibly addressing those gaps.

Supplementing that, Abel says, is the College recently partnering with People Connect, a mental health resource centre offering self-care and support tools to all Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) at no cost to registrants.

Better support systems will become apparent as the deal is fleshed out she says, which will not only benefit those currently working in the sector in terms of wages and working conditions, but for supporting burgeoning child-care professionals and undecided licensed operators looking to opt in.

Municipalities across the province are welcoming the latter. Shanley McNamee, General Manager of Children’s

Services at the City of Toronto, says that despite the complexities, Toronto has provided resources to help undecided operators with their decision-making. Revised guidelines by the provincial government regarding the deal have also been beneficial McNamee says, as both municipality and operators alike have had their voices heard.

“One of the changes included in the revised guidelines was direction to service system managers and operators about speeding up the rollout in 2022,” she said. “Previously, operators had 60 days to refund parents; now they have 20. These condensed timelines, ideally this year, quickly allow families to benefit from that financial relief.”

Future rollout

Should the deal rollout in the way that all parties are accepting of, Abel says a highly-engaged workforce remains crucial, so that families can access the child-care servicing they deserve.

Making sure that workforce needs are addressed is key, she explains. Paying attention to communal activities, as well as using and analyzing gathered data, will allow the College to offer even more tangible support systems to registrants, and the public at large.

“I think that a plan just can’t happen without the people,” Abel says. “For us at the College, it is about ensuring that our practices don’t create unnecessary barriers to those trying to register, while also establishing appropriate thresholds to safe, and ethical practicing. These will inevitably set up everyone for success.”

Adebola Adefioye, Project Officer at the Ontario Coalition For Better Childcare praises the work of the College, and notes that the established program sets a solid foundation. It is a step in the right direction, she says, as it has taken 50 years of advocacy by child-care leaders across the province and country to build towards a system that works for families.

Continuing to ensure that regulated child-care spaces are present remain key Adefioye says, as it is a base for safety and quality that every family deserves, along with expanding public and non-profit spaces. The same is true for families who don’t have consistent access to the sector.

“This is just the beginning, but there is a lot more to be done,” Adefioye said. “It is important that governments across Canada, and child-care sector leaders, listen to underserved and racialized families as that is the only way to build a truly inclusive and equitable system.”