Ontario Creating More Affordable Child Care Spaces Across the Province

December 20

The Ontario government is creating 53,000 new licensed child care spaces across the province by December 2026, in addition to more than 33,000 licensed child care spaces created since 2019 –bringing the total to 86,000 new spaces.

“This is wonderful news for families in Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston”, said MPP John Jordan. “To date, 92% of Ontario’s licensed child care providers have opted into our plan to deliver affordable child care. Families are already seeing fee reductions of up to 25% retroactive to April 1, 2022, and, by the end of this year, will see even further fee reductions. Families can be assured that our government will take any measure needed to provide financial relief and high-quality child care in our riding.”

In March 2022, Ontario secured a six-year, $13.2 billion agreement with the federal government which will lower fees for families and deliver an average of $10 a day child care by September 2025. This included an initial investment of $10.2 billion for the first five years of the agreement and an additional commitment for at least $3 billion in year six. As part of that agreement, Ontario has announced a targeted plan to create new licensed child care spaces, including 169 in Lanark County, with a focus on increasing access to families across Ontario.

“We are delivering savings directly to families while increasing access to child care spaces in communities small and large,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. “Our government is making child care affordable — with savings averaging between $6,000 to $10,000 per child by the end of this year — and investing in new spaces that will benefit parents for years to come. With the cost of living rising across the country, the Ontario government is increasing access to child care spaces and delivering needed financial relief for families.”

Ontario is also launching a $213 million grant program for new and existing operators. These one-time grants, prioritizing regions with historically low rates of space availability, will help child care operators offset the initial costs of expanding or creating spaces, such as purchasing equipment or renovating facilities. Funding is available to support municipalities to achieve these new space creation targets, including Lanark County.

MPP John Jordan Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston

613-284-1630

johnjordanmpp.ca