Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement Implementation in Toronto - Update

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The decision

2023-06-14 · Toronto City Council · amended

As filed

City Council on June 14 and 15, 2023, adopted the following: 1. City Council request the Province of Ontario and/or the Federal Government to increase the allocation of Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care-funded spaces for Toronto to align with the Child Care Growth Strategy targets to better address demand and ensure equitable access to affordable and high quality child care spaces for families in Toronto. 2. City

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Council request the Province of Ontario to review the fee subsidy guidelines and update the income threshold and revise eligibility criteria in order to reduce additional barriers for low-income families to access child care spaces funded by the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care agreement, and to allow service system managers to use excess provincial funding previously used to support fee subsidies to expand the number of available fee subsidies in the system. 3. City Council request the Province of Ontario to develop a set of guidelines for sustained increase to wages and benefits that are inclusive of all staff in the early years and child care sector and provide additional investment to implement these guidelines. 4. City Council request the Province of Ontario to: a. provide additional investment to increase wages and benefits, comparable to positions in the public sector, to support recruitment and retention for all staff in the early years and child care sector; and b. collaborate with service system managers to develop regional wage scales including a set of guidelines for sustained increases to wages and benefits that address cost of living and reflect training and education of staff. 5. City Council direct the General Manager, Children's Services to report to City Council, through the Economic and Community Development Committee, by November 28, 2023, on the number and capital funding source of new child care spaces constructed since the adoption of the Licensed Child Care Growth Strategy (the Strategy) in 2017, as well as an update on the progress of child care expansion as it relates to the Strategy. 6. City Council request the Federal and Provincial Governments to commit to capital funding to support the child care expansion targets in the not-for-profit and public sector for Toronto set out in the Province's Draft Access and Inclusion Framework, and the Growth Strategy.

The vote

Amend Item · Carried, 22-0

Absent (3)Gary Crawford, Nick Mantas, Vincent Crisanti

The whole record, all 25 members

Every name opens that member’s record.

On the agenda

As the city filed it

This report provides an update on the implementation of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) agreement signed by the Province of Ontario and Government of Canada on March 27, 2022. This report covers the period from April 1, 2022 to May 1, 2023, including an overview of anticipated impacts of the CWELCC system and the Province's Draft Access and Inclusion Framework on Toronto's families and child care operators.

Staff recommended

The General Manager, Children's Services recommends that: 1. City Council advocate to the Province of Ontario to increase the allocation of Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care-funded spaces for Toronto to align with the Child Care Growth Strategy targets to better address demand and ensure greater access to affordable and high quality child care spaces for families in Toronto. 2. City Council recommend to the Province of Ontario that any unused funds for school-based projects be reallocated to support planned and committed community-based capital projects between 2022-2026.

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3. City Council recommend that the Province of Ontario review the fee subsidy guidelines and update the income threshold and revise eligibility criteria in order to reduce additional barriers for low-income families to access child care spaces funded by the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care agreement. 4. City Council recommend that the Province of Ontario develop a set of guidelines for sustained increases to wages and benefits that are inclusive of all staff in the early years and child care sector and provide additional investment to implement these guidelines.

Considered

2023-05-31 · Economic and Community Development Committee · amended
Decision as filed
The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that: 1. City Council recommend that the Province of Ontario and/or the Federal Government increase the allocation of Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care-funded spaces for Toronto to align with the Child Care Growth Strategy targets to better address demand and ensure equitable access to affordable and high quality child care spaces for families in Toronto.
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2. City Council recommend that the Province of Ontario review the fee subsidy guidelines and update the income threshold and revise eligibility criteria in order to reduce additional barriers for low-income families to access child care spaces funded by the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care agreement. 3. City Council recommend that the Province of Ontario develop a set of guidelines for sustained increase to wages and benefits that are inclusive of all staff in the early years and child care sector and provide additional investment to implement these guidelines. 4. City Council request the Province to increase school-age spaces to ensure continued access to affordable child care for families with children age 6 to 12, including additional measures to offset fees. 5. City Council direct the General Manager, Children's Services to report to City Council, through the Economic and Community Development Committee, by November 28, 2023, on the number and capital funding source of new child care spaces constructed since the adoption of the Licensed Child Care Growth Strategy (the Strategy) in 2017, as well as an update on the progress of child care expansion as it relates to the Strategy. 6. City Council request the Federal and Provincial Governments to commit to capital funding to support the child care expansion targets in the not for profit and publicly funded sector for Toronto set out in the Province's Access and Inclusion Framework, and the Strategy.
2023-06-14 · Toronto City Council · amended

On the record

The item as the City filed it