Ontario child-care operators in the national $10/day program will soon be compensated in a way the province says will cover the true cost of providing care.
The long-delayed announcement of a new funding formula comes after many operators said they were struggling to keep their doors open under the current structure.
Education Minister and Bay of Quinte MPP Todd Smith says the new formula will address their concerns.
“I’m really confident that we’re going to ensure that we’re creating new spaces across the province and it’s gonna provide that certainty for those who already operate in the province.”
The government has been replacing the revenue centres’ loss from reduced fees for parents under the program, but operators have said it’s not covering their costs.
Smith says the new formula doesn’t come with a pay boost for early childhood educators, but will allow centres to give raises.
“And we’re seeing different wages in different regions across the province due to the cost of living and other drivers but this will give flexibility for those operators to pay higher wages if they wish.”
The new formula will give operators a main pool of funding based on factors like how many spaces they operate and the region where they’re located, as well as top-ups for costs that exceed that amount, and for creating new spaces.
The new funding structure comes into effect January 1, which is also when the already-reduced fees parents pay will be lowered from an average of $23/day to an average of $19 dollars, and capped at $22 dollars.
(The Canadian Press)
