Ontario families will start seeing savings on child care this year after the provincial and federal governments inked a child care agreement for the next six years.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that by 2025, Ontario families will be able to access childcare for an average of $10 a day. In the coming weeks, fees will go down by 25 per cent, and by the end of 2022 fees will be cut in half.
“From day one, I said our government wouldn’t sign a deal that didn’t work for Ontario parents and I’m so proud of the work we’ve done with our federal partners to land an agreement that will lower costs for families across the province,” said Ford. “Given how complex Ontario’s child care system is, we wanted to get this right. Today, we’re delivering a deal that will keep money in the pockets of hard-working parents.”
Ontario is the last province to sign an agreement with the federal government to create a national child care program. The agreement includes a federal investment of $13.2 billion over six years. Most provinces inked a five-year deal with the federal government.
"Kids deserve the best start in life and parents, especially moms, shouldn't have to choose between family or a career," said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. "A year ago we said we would build a national system to make child care more affordable and accessible everywhere in Canada and today we continue to deliver on that promise."
Parents will receive rebates this year, retroactive to April 1. The rebates will begin in May. The rebates will come from child care providers as they enroll programs through the Ministry of Education.
The agreement will also create 86,000 child-care spaces. It will also support the recruitment of new early childhood educators and provide stable compensation for all Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) working in licensed child care, including RECEs providing child care for children six to 12 years old.