Child Care Licensees
Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement
Contact Us
For any questions or if you need additional information
Email [email protected]
Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) Update
All 2026 spaces and funding in Hamilton have been allocated and all applicants have been informed of decisions.
Review the Child Care Directed Growth Application section below
The CWELCC plan is designed to provide high-quality, affordable, accessible and inclusive licensed child care programs to support Ontario’s children, families, employers, early years professionals and the child care sector. This plan aligns with the priorities for the Early Years System in Hamilton - affordability, accessibility, inclusion and quality.
All growth in CWELCC, both centre based and licensed home child care, will be approved through the City's directed growth application process. Licensees looking to open a new child care site can open outside of the CWELCC system and do not need to complete a Directed Growth Application.
The Ministry of Education is responsible for licensing and compliance. All new licence requests and licence revisions are completed on the Child Care Licensing System. For more resources review Start a child care program.
Participating licensees in the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care system in Hamilton are listed here: Financial Support for Child Care.
Hamilton continues to make significant progress to improve the affordability, accessibility and quality of licensed child care for families.
More affordable child care
- Reduced parent fees to $22 per day for children ages 0 to 5 years
- Saved families an average of $10,640 per child each year
Expanded access to child care
- Increased full-time child care access at CWELCC participating sites from 34% to 38% (as at December 31, 2026)
- Achieved an overall systemwide access rate of 43%, including both CWELCC and non-CWLECC participating sites
- Exceeded the provincial access rate target of 37% while prioritizing growth in communities with the greatest need
- Created 1,760 new affordable child care spaces, helping Hamilton reach the Ministry’s growth target of 14,159 spaces for children ages 0 – 5 years
- Welcomed 26 new child care providers into CWELCC, bringing the total to 223 participating licensees out of 243 licensed operators in Hamilton
- Maintained the provincially mandated ratio to balance 80% not-for-profit and 20% for profit child care spaces
Invested in growth and infrastructure
- Administered approximately $6.9M in provincial CWELCC funding to support infrastructure and expansion projects
- Helped create new licensed child care spaces in communities across the city
Advanced access, equity and inclusion
- Developed a City of Hamilton Access and Inclusion Framework to guide child care expansion and growth decisions
- Developed and implemented an Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB) Policy
- Prioritized expansion in areas identified through socio-economic, demographic and child care access data
- Increased access to licensed child care in all priority neighbourhoods
Supported a strong early years workforce
- Developed and implemented strategies to grow attract, retain and sustain a high-quality workforce
- Increased the number of Early Childhood Educators (ECE) and non-Early Childhood Educators by 2,019 employees, representing a 25% increase since 2022
- Expanded compensation, training and professional learning opportunities to support recruitment and retention
Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement
Guidelines, Framework & Application Resources
The Child Care Directed Growth Application process is now closed.
The City of Hamilton has approved and allocated all Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) community-based child care spaces and Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Infrastructure funding from the Ministry of Education.
No new CWELCC spaces have been committed in Hamilton beyond 2026.
Directed Growth Applications that were not approved will be kept on file for future consideration in the event the Provincial Government allocates more spaces to Hamilton prior to the end of 2026.
Expression of Interest
Applicants who have not previously submitted a Directed Growth application or who have not previously completed the ‘Expression of Interest’ form are encouraged to submit an ‘Expression of Interest’ (EOI) form.
The EOI form does not replace the Directed Growth Application and will not be evaluated – EOIs will be used for information purposes to support City staff in tracking interest, readiness and potential child care growth for future participation in CWELCC.
Download the CWELCC Expression of Interest of Child Care Expansion
The City remains committed to supporting equitable access across Hamilton, guided by the CWELCC Access & Inclusion Framework.
Child Care Access Rates by Ward
| WARD | 2026 YEAR END ACCESS RATE |
|---|---|
| Ward 1 Chedoke-Cootes | 57% |
| Ward 2 Downtown | 45% |
| Ward 3 Hamilton Centre | 35% |
| Ward 4 East Lower Hamilton | 23% |
| Ward 5 Redhill | 32% |
| Ward 6 East Mountain | 12% |
| Ward 7 Central Mountain | 29% |
| Ward 8 West-Central Mountain | 43% |
| Ward 9 Upper Stoney Creek | 34% |
| Ward 10 Lower Stoney Creek | 64% |
| Ward 11 Glanbrook | 24% |
| Ward 12 Ancaster – Flamborough Rest | 38% |
| Ward 13 Dundas | 27% |
| Ward 14 Far West Mountain | 68% |
| Ward 15 Flamborough East - Waterdown | 55% |
| City of Hamilton CWELCC access rate | 38% |
| City of Hamilton systemwide access rate | 43% |
Appeals Process
Licensees have the right to appeal decisions. Appeals must be made in writing via email to [email protected].
The City of Hamilton’s Director of Children’s and Community Services Division will review all appeals in a fair and equitable manner by following the guidelines and legislation determined by Ontario’s Ministry of Education, alongside the policies and practices determined by the City of Hamilton. Licensees will be notified of a decision on an appeal within 14 days business days.
Review reference materials before applying
Review Child Care
Licensee Resources
Visit Child Care Licensee Resources for all forms, guides, and tools for Licensees operating in the City of Hamilton.
cwelcc
Frequently Asked Questions
In March 2022, the provincial and federal governments announced a $13.2 billion agreement, known as the Canada-wide Early Learning Child Care (CWELCC) program. The goal of the CWELCC program is to support and improve quality, accessibility, affordability and inclusivity in licensed child care across the country. This includes reducing licensed child care fees for children under six, targeting an average of $10 per day by 2026.
As a CWELCC participating licensee, you will receive funding to support reduced fees for families to provide high-quality child care. Additionally, you will have access to fee subsidy supports, the City of Hamilton's early years quality program, special needs resourcing staff support and professional learning support for educators through Affiliated Services for Children and Youth (ASCY). Licensees serving children aged 0-5 who do not participate in CWELCC are not eligible for these supports.
Effective January 1, 2025, Ontario’s Ministry of Education has capped daily child care to $22/day.
For 2026, parent fees for CWELCC-eligible children (0-5 years) as per O. Reg. 137/15 remain unchanged; base fees continue to be capped at $22/day until December 31, 2026. For programs that operate at fees below $22/day, the lesser rate will continue to be charged; these lower rates cannot be increased to $22/day.
Yes. Licensees who choose not to participate in CWELCC can operate under the existing provincial licensing and regulatory framework. Prospective licensees can apply for a licence through the Child Care Licensing System and indicate “No” to CWELCC participation. Licensees operating outside of CWELCC do not need to complete a Directed Growth Application, and will not receive CWELCC-related supports or funding.
Yes. Any growth within the CWELCC system for children aged 0-5 requires a Directed Growth Application. A licence request will only be approved if the Directed Growth Application is completed, submitted, and approved for community-based child care spaces. Participation in CWELCC is not guaranteed.
No. The City of Hamilton has allocated all CWELCC community-based spaces and funding allocated by the Ministry of Education for 2022-2026 and is not accepting new applications at this time. As a next step, we encourage you to fill out an Expression of Interest form. These forms will not be evaluated, but City staff will use them to track future interest in child care growth and participation in CWELCC. Download the Expression of Interest of Child Care Expansion.
If the Ministry of Education allocates additional spaces for growth opportunities beyond 2026, we will reach out to those who have completed an Expression of Interest form and advise that the Directed Growth Application process will reopen.
The City of Hamilton has allocated all CWELCC community-based spaces and funding allocated by the Ministry of Education for 2022-2026 and is not accepting new applications at this time. The funding was only available to centres that successfully applied and were approved through the Directed Growth Application process. For detailed eligibility criteria for 2022-2026, refer to the City of Hamilton Access and Inclusion Framework.
No. The City of Hamilton only provides funding agreements to support fee subsidy, general operating expenses, wage compensation and system priority funding to child care centres participating in CWELCC. Licensees serving children 0-5 who are not participating in CWELCC are not eligible for these supports.
The Ministry of Education is responsible for licensing and compliance. All new licence requests and licence revisions are completed on the Child Care Licensing System. For more resources review Start a child care program.
It is also important that you are aware of your role and responsibilities according to the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA), 2014, and Ontario Regulation 137/15.
For help using the Child Care Licensing System(website), email the helpdesk at [email protected] and for more information about child care licensing, contact Toll-free: 1-877-510-5333, or [email protected].
Please connect with the City of Hamilton’s Building Division via email at [email protected] or in person at City Hall, 71 Main Street West, 3rd Floor. For more information, visit Residential Building & Renovation.
The Building Division also receives and processes any requests for the repurposing of buildings, renovations and retrofits – these will require additional zoning approvals, permits and floor plans.
Work with your contractor, engineer or architect through the process of opening a child care centre.
Please refer to the Directed Growth Application tab to learn more about what areas of the city have lower access to child care by ward.
Use the interactive Find My Ward map and search by address to find out what ward an address is located in.
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