Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC)
Background
On , the Federal and Provincial Governments announced a funding agreement that will reduce the cost of child care in Ontario to an average of $10 per day. The Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) Agreement will:
- Require participating licensed child care centres and licensed home child care agencies to reduce parent/caregiver fees to a maximum of $22 per day, working toward lowering fees to an average of $10 per day. The next planned fee reduction date has not been confirmed by the Province.
- Improve compensation for lower-wage Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) working with children up to age 12 in licensed child care.
- Create 86,000 licensed child care spaces in Ontario for children under the age of six by the end of 2026 to meet the growing demand for affordable child care.
The Provincial Government has negotiated an extension of the Federal-Provincial CWELCC agreement until . Halton Region continues to monitor the status of the negotiations.
Learn more about the program
Key accomplishments
- 86% of Halton’s licensed child care programs (child care centres and home child care agencies) are enrolled in CWELCC. There are 274 sites representing a total of 18,940 spaces that are part of CWELCC in Halton.
- Effective January 1, 2025, fees have been capped at no more than $22 per day for children under age 6.
- Supported Halton families with affordable child care at a time when living costs are high.
Halton Region's role
Halton Region is the Service System Manager for early years and child care in legislation. In this capacity, Halton Region plans, administers and funds early years and licensed child care programs to maintain affordable and high-quality care across the region. As the Service System Manager for Halton, the Region is required to implement the provincial guidelines. which includes administering the CWELCC program in Halton.
Directed growth plan
Halton’s Directed Growth Plan: An Appendix to the Early Learning and Child Care Service Plan (2024 – 2026)
As a condition of CWELCC participation, the Region is required to develop a Directed Growth Plan for Halton. This plan is legislated by the Province and is used to guide how and where new CWELCC spaces the Province allocates to the Region through to 2026.
Halton’s Directed Growth Plan: An Appendix to the Early Learning and Child Care Service Plan (“the Plan”) is a comprehensive plan that focuses on system priorities as identified through consultation with local educators, service providers, parents and caregivers, children, community partners and Regional staff. The Region used provincial guidelines, the Provincial Access and Inclusion Framework (external PDF), and the 2022-2025 Early Learning and Child Care Plan to inform the directed growth plan.
The purpose of the Plan is to provide information to operators of licensed child care centres and licensed home child care agencies regarding the CWELCC system for the period of 2024-2026. The Plan includes priorities for enrolment and expansion of affordable child care spaces in CWELCC and identifies underserved priority neighbourhoods based on local priorities and the priority populations established by the Province including children living in low-income families, children from diverse communities, children with special needs, Francophone children and Indigenous children.
The Region recognizes that many areas of Halton have equity, diversity and inclusion needs. As such, a consultative, data driven, and equity focused approach was used to determine the Region’s priority neighbourhoods.
CWELCC Directed Growth Map
The map below profiles all 30 Halton neighbourhoods with their level of priority. Child care operators are encouraged to refer to the map when developing their applications for CWELCC enrolment or expansion.
Local child care providers will be updated as new CWELCC-funded child care spaces become available.
CWELCC expression of interest
Halton Region is inviting licensed child care operators to submit an expression of interest for potential opportunities to create or expand CWELCC-funded child care spaces. This opportunity is open to:
- licensed child care operators currently participating in the CWELCC system in Halton
- licensed child care operators that are not currently participating in the CWELCC system in Halton but are interested in joining
At this time, Halton Region has not received any additional allocation of CWELCC spaces from the Province. Expressions of Interest are being accepted to identify licensed child care operators that may be considered for future CWELCC expansion opportunities. Future opportunities may become available as a result of existing CWELCC spaces that are unused or delayed to open, or future provincial expansion opportunities, if they occur prior to .
Submitting an expression of interest does not guarantee funding, approval, or the allocation of CWELCC spaces. Expressions of interest will be reviewed to assess initial eligibility, operational readiness, and alignment with Halton Region’s Directed Growth Plan.
Eligibility
To be considered, applicants must meet the initial eligibility requirements outlined in the expression of interest, including demonstrating that they:
- have the ability to create or convert licensed child care spaces to CWELCC-funded spaces
- can have proposed spaces operational within the timelines identified in the expression of interest (no later than )
- have the operational capacity and financial viability to support the proposed expansion
- for current CWELCC operators, are in good standing with the terms and conditions of their Early Years and Child Care Service Agreement with Halton Region
If you are interested in being considered for potential future CWELCC expansion opportunities, please request an expression of interest package. Halton is accepting applications until . As the application period is limited, we encourage you to contact Child Care Services as soon as possible to request an application package and ensure you have enough time to submit your application before the deadline.
Cost-based funding
Child care operators enrolled in CWELCC are funded based on eligible costs incurred in the calendar year in respect of eligible centres/agencies, up to a maximum amount of funding determined by the Ministry of Education’s Cost-Based funding formula.
For more information on the cost-based funding approach, visit Supporting Child Care in Ontario (external link) and the Ministry of Education’s Ontario Child Care and Early Years Funding Guidelines (external link).
For an estimate of cost-based funding, please visit the CWELCC Cost-Based Child Care Funding Estimator (external link).
Funding for child care providers not participating in CWELCC
Due to provincial funding changes and limited funding, Halton Region is not currently entering into new funding agreements with child care operators.
Child care programs not participating in CWELCC that serve children 0-5, are now ineligible for General Operating Grant, Wage Enhancement Grants, Home Child Care Enhancement Grants, or other direct funding. This was a change made by the Ministry of Education to support the ongoing success of CWELCC. Additionally, child care programs not participating in CWELCC cannot accept new fee subsidy placements and receive fee subsidy funding.
Operators that are enrolled in CWELCC or are not enrolled and exclusively serve children aged 6-12, are eligible to receive workforce compensation funding for eligible staff who serve 6-12 age groups.
Licensed child care programs that do not participate in the CWELCC system must continue to follow the rules and requirements for operating a licensed child care program (external link).
Guidance and resources
The following information is intended for child care centre owners, operators and staff on CWELCC.
- Ministry of Education – Ontario Child Care and Early Years Funding Guidelines for Consolidated Municipal Service Managers and District Social Services Administration Boards (external link): The guidelines provide information about CWELCC funding, including requirements and processes for licensed child care operators participating in CWELCC.
- Halton Region – CWELCC Halton Region Guidelines for Child Care Operators 2026 (PDF file). The guidelines set out requirements related to participation in the CWELCC System in Halton and provide direction to operators of licensed child care centres and licensed home child care agencies to support implementation and compliance with Ministry and Regional requirements.
To find out more information on CWELCC, refer to the Provincial and Regional supporting documents below.
- Ministry of Education – Canada-Ontario early years and child care agreement (external link): Learn more about how the Canada-Ontario early years and child care agreement will help provide more accessible child care options and lower fees.
- Sample agreements – Child care providers can find Halton Region's sample agreements for the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care System below.
- Sample Early Years and Child Care Funding Agreement (PDF file)
- En français: Exemple d’entente de financement pour les services à la petite enfance et la garde d’enfants (PDF file)
- Halton Region Vendor Code of Conduct (PDF file), an appendix item for the Sample Early Years and Child Care Funding Agreement