Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Implementation Roundtable: Update

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The decision

2024-07-24 · Toronto City Council · amended

As filed

City Council on July 24 and 25, 2024, adopted the following: 1. City Council request the General Manager, Children's Services to report back to the Economic and Community Development Committee in the fourth quarter of 2024 with an update on growth and expansion within Toronto's licensed childcare sector, ongoing implementation of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system, and an analysis of the provincial funding formula for the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care agreement.

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2. City Council request the Minister of Education to introduce a Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care provincial funding formula that ensures long-term stability and viability of the childcare sector through sustainable multi-year operating and capital funding, addresses workforce compensation issues and supports a thriving workforce, provides capital funding for expansion in the non-profit and public sector, and supports access and inclusion for families across the City of Toronto. 3. City Council request the Minster of Education to reverse the recently announced cancellation of 48 previously-approved child care capital projects in Toronto schools, and to provide the required capital funding to the Toronto District School Board and Toronto Catholic District School Board to create the 3,083 school-based spaces associated with these projects in high needs communities within the City of Toronto, in alignment with the expansion priorities outlined in the Federal-Ontario Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. 4. Should the Minister of Education not provide the required capital funding to create all 3,083 previously-approved school-based spaces, City Council request the Minister of Education to reallocate cancelled funding for previously approved child care capital projects in Toronto schools as pooled funding to the Toronto District School Board and Toronto Catholic District School Board, to allow for immediate construction on as many of the projects as possible. 5. Should the Minister of Education not reallocate the cancelled funding for previously-approved child care capital projects in Toronto schools as pooled funding to the Toronto District School Board and Toronto Catholic District School Board, City Council request the Minister of Education to reallocate the cancelled funding as pooled funding to the City of Toronto to administer as capital funding grants to school-based, public, and non-profit child care capital projects in the communities originally slated to receive the funds.

The vote

Amend Item (Additional) · Carried, 21-0

Absent (4)James Pasternak, Michael Thompson, Paula Fletcher, Vincent Crisanti

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On the agenda

As the city filed it

Maintaining and growing our child care system in Toronto is a key priority, as outlined in our Licensed Child Care Growth Strategy. Since the introduction of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, Toronto Children's Services has been working with operators to implement the program despite the challenges created by the program's guidelines. During the implementation of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, the childcare sector has faced a number of challenges.

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Operators have faced uncertainty on both operating and capital funding, while disparities in workers' wages have caused recruitment and retention challenges. Sector expansion is stalled due to inadequate investment, and a lack of clarity on the provincial funding formula has made it hard to plan for the future. It is clear that much more work is needed in order for our child care system to be accessible and inclusive for everyone. The City of Toronto's Economy and Community Development Committee called for a roundtable of Toronto's child care sector to be convened to discuss these challenges, identify opportunities, and talk about how we can move forward together to build the best possible future for child care in Toronto. In this report, you'll see the key themes identified through the roundtable's discussions and the collective wisdom of those who are on the frontlines. Affordable and accessible child care helps us build a more fair city and grows our economy. The Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care agreement also needs to be implemented in a way that is fair, sustainable, and promotes growth. This isn't feasible without additional support from the provincial and federal governments. I extend my sincere thanks to all those who joined us for the roundtable, and to everyone else who has reached out in the past few months to speak up for child care in Toronto.

Staff recommended

Councillor Alejandra Bravo recommends that: 1. The Economic and Community Development Committee receive this item for information.

Considered

2024-07-04 · Economic and Community Development Committee · amended
Decision as filed
The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that: 1. City Council request the General Manager, Children's Services to report back to the Economic and Community Development Committee in the fourth quarter of 2024 with an update on growth and expansion within Toronto's licensed child care sector, ongoing implementation of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system, and an analysis of the provincial funding formula for the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care agreement.
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2. City Council requests the Minister of Education to introduce a Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care provincial funding formula that ensures long-term stability and viability of the child care sector through sustainable multi-year operating and capital funding, addresses workforce compensation issues and supports a thriving workforce, provides capital funding for expansion in the non-profit and public sector, and supports access and inclusion for families across the City of Toronto.
2024-07-24 · Toronto City Council · amended

On the record

The item as the City filed it

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