EXCERPTS
Huron County’s Manager of Ontario Works and Children’s Services presented council councilors with a report last week on their Fee Reduction for Before and After School initiative.
Cheryl Patience says the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care System focuses on children up to the age of six.
“So we were looking to expand some of our affordability strategies to those parents who have children over the age of six, that have being paying into child care for several years at this point. So we’re able to offer a 25 per cent reduction, which would mirror the Canada-wide system,” explained Patience.
But while the initiative is funded 100 per cent by the Province, that funding is based on a calendar year.
“At this point we are doing it until the end of this year because our funding is on a calendar year, so this initiative is only for the term until Christmas time. So from September until December, parents will pay a reduced before and after school rate.”
Patience adds, they would like to extend the initiative into 2023, but they can’t make that decision until they know they’re going to get the Provincial funding to do it.