Ontario’s child-care deal a ‘positive’ step, but staffing needs attention: advocates

Ontario has joined other provinces that have signed onto the federal government’s plan, which aims to reduce child-care fees to an average of $10 a day by 2026.

Daycare providers and parents in Ontario are welcoming a new deal that would lower the cost of child care in the province, but say the inked agreement with the federal government does not adequately address staffing problems faced by the sector.

On Monday, Ontario finally joined other provinces that have signed onto the federal government’s plan, which aims to reduce child-care fees to an average of $10 a day by 2026.

According to the Ministry of Health, under the new deal, Ontario families with children five years old and younger in licensed child-care centres will see fees reduced up to 25 per cent to a minimum of $12 a day, retroactive to April 1, 2022. The rebates will be delivered to families beginning in May.

With child-care fees further halved by the end of the year, the federal government said families will save an average of about $6,000 per child.

Over the next five years, Ontario will receive $10.2 billion in overall funding.

Spyros Volonakis, executive director of Network Child Care Services that operates 19 child-care centres across Toronto and the GTA, said the deal would make “a huge difference” for families.

“This is a very positive development in the early years and child care field. It supports families without compromising quality,” he told Global News.

“Parents need to have a peace of mind that their children are safe and are supported so that they receive the necessary programing within the early childhood education.”