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TORONTO - The Ontario government will allow childcare centres to welcome more children as of July 27, a step it hopes will allow more parents to rejoin the workforce as much of the province moves into Stage 3 of reopening.

The current cap of 10 people per room will be raised to 15 children, plus staff. It's a move Education Minister Stephen Lecce claims would allow the childcare sector as a whole to reach over 90 per cent of its pre-COVID-19 capacity, if fully implemented. 

The announcement came during the same press conference where Premier Doug Ford revealed most regions of Ontario would enter Stage 3 of reopening on Friday, which will allow the vast majority of businesses and other facilities to reopen their doors.

Ford and top government ministers present at the announcement emphasized the importance of childcare in getting Ontarians back into the workplace.

“We know how critical childcare is to ensure all working moms and dads can return to work safely," said Lecce.