Ontario is the sole province in Canada where municipal-level government entities have a mandated role in child care services. To fulfill this role, the provincial government has grouped the 444 municipalities into 47 Service System Managers (SSMs) and District Social Services Administration Boards (DSSABs). These municipal entities are mandated by provincial legislation to administer, plan, manage funding and provision of early years and child care services. One of their responsibilities is developing and implementing five year Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) service plans.
The service plans from selected SSMs illustrate many aspects of this unique role in Canada; they can be accessed through the 47 SSMs’ websites. For example, Toronto’s Early Years and Child Care Service Plan 2025 – 2030, City of Ottawa’s Child Care and Early Years Service System Plan (2025 – 2029), the Region of Waterloo’s Early Years and Child Care Service System Plan 2022 – 2026, and Bruce County’s Early Learning and Child Care Service System Plan: 2024 – 2028.