Ontario is providing stability for families with kids in child care by investing an additional $18 million in 2010-11 to support 8,500 child care spaces.
In 2006, the federal government provided a one-time payment of $254 million to Ontario after cancelling the federal-provincial child care agreements. The province has used that funding to sustain about 8,500 child care spaces over the last four years. That funding ends next year.
The new provincial investment will help municipalities plan and maintain child care spaces throughout the next school year and into the summer. This funding will provide stability in the child care sector while the province continues to press the federal government to restore full funding for child care.
QUOTES
“We remain committed to supporting Ontario families in these challenging economic times, including working parents with young children. This provincial funding will provide greater stability in the child care sector over the 2009-10 school year and into the summer. We continue to call on the federal government to restore funding for child care in Ontario.”
- Deb Matthews, Minister of Children and Youth Services
QUICK FACTS
- Ontario invests approximately $869 million in child care annually.
- There are about 4,600 licensed child care programs in Ontario, serving more than 263,000 children up to age 12.
- Since 2003, Ontario has created more than 22,000 new licensed child care spaces.
- Last year, Ontario provided $23 million to help an additional 3,000 children benefit from licensed child care through fee subsidies and $2 million to support new French-language spaces.
LEARN MORE
Learn more about Ontario’s plan for a full day of learning for four- and five-year olds.
Find licensed child care near you.
Choosing the right child care for your child.