Province reviewing child care options
Wants to improve accessibility, affordablity
The Ford government has introduced changes to make child care more accessible and affordable.
It wants to make it easier for home-based providers and authorized programs to serve more children.
Among other things, the proposed changes would allow home-based providers to care for an additional child under the age of two, and lower the age at which those providers have to count their own children towards the max from six years to four years.
In addition, the government wants to remove the restriction that a parent must receive financial assistance before licensed in-home child care services can be provided for their child.
“We listened to parents and families, and we committed to making life easier by helping them find more affordable
child care and early years options. It will give families more options while keeping their children safe by maintaining the same provincial health and safety provisions and progressive approach to enforcement.”
– Lisa Thompson, Minister of Education
The proposed amendments to the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (CCEYA) and the Education Act are part of the government’s recently introduced Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act.
