Excerpts
Halton Region councillors say demand for more affordable child care spaces continues to grow, but the province is not allocating additional spots under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) program.
At the Feb. 18 Halton Regional Council meeting, staff told councillors that despite receiving millions in additional provincial funding this year — and having operators ready and willing to expand — no new CWELCC spaces will be added locally.
Launched in 2022, CWELCC is a funding agreement between the federal and provincial governments aimed at reducing the average cost of child care in Ontario to $10 per day by 2026. The Ontario government determines how many CWELCC spaces each community receives.
...
The Ministry of Education has allocated more than $267 million to Halton Region for 2026 — an increase of roughly $22.5 million over the previous year.
Rather than funding new spaces, the additional money will support inflationary pressures faced by child care operators and increases to the base wage for workers.
...
In December, the federal and provincial governments announced a one-year extension to the CWELCC agreement while a longer-term deal is negotiated.
According to a regional report, the promised $10-per-day child care has yet to materialize for many families, with most paying significantly more.