Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement

The Ontario Ministry of Education’s goals under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement are similar to the priorities for the Early Years System in Hamilton — affordability, accessibility, inclusion and quality.

Updates regarding the application status of licensed child care operators participating in the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care system in Hamilton is now available, visit Financial Support for Child Care.

Timeline

• November to December 2022 - Fee Reduction funding issued to licensed child care providers 
• November to December 2022 - Licensed child care providers issue rebates to families 
• November to December 2022 - Workforce compensation issued to licensed child care providers to be distributed to eligible child care staff 

Child care fees for participating providers will be further reduced for families by 37% starting on December 31, 2022.

Families receiving financial assistance for child care (child care fee subsidy) will also receive 25% of the child care contributions backdated to April 1, 2022 and parental contributions will also be decreased by an additional 25% December 31, 2022.

Fee subsidy and full fee-paying families will receive rebates from their child care operator beginning in November to the end of the year.

Child care rates will be reduced by 25% within 20 days of operators receiving funding from the City of Hamilton

Rebates (in the form of credits, cheques or e-transfer) will be provided to families within 20 days of operators receiving funding from the City of Hamilton

Licensed child care operators that have opted-out, must notify families in writing no later than November 1, 2022.

Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECE)

Wage Floor

Beginning April 1, 2022, eligible staff working in licensed child care enrolled in the CWELCC system must meet the wage floor (minimum wage for RECE). This means eligible staff who earn less than the wage floor will receive CWELCC wage compensation funds to bring their pay up to the floor. The wage floor will increase each year as follows:

To be eligible for the wage floor, staff must be receiving wage enhancement funding (WEG), and their hourly wage including wage enhancement funding must be below the wage floor. CWELCC wage compensation is added after the General Operating Grant (GOG).

Annual Increase

Beginning January 1, 2023, eligible staff who currently earn equal to or more than the wage floor but less than $25 per hour will receive a new $1 per hour annual increase.

It is important to note that while eligible staff who earn more than $25 per hour will not qualify for an annual increase, they may still receive WEG and increases tied to inflation or other planned wage increases through their employer to increase their wages beyond $25 per hour.

The provincial funding guidelines have specified that workforce compensation payments must be included in each pay cheque or payment made. It may not be paid at the end of the year as a lump sum payment.