Hoping for $10-a-day child care? Here’s how many Toronto daycares opted in to the federal program, in 2017, compared to those who chose to opt out:
The number of Ontario daycares that are required to offer the $750 child care subsidy, per Ontario’s Daycare Services Regulation Act, is expected to increase by over 60 per cent by 2021.
The federal government’s Child Care Provider of the Year (CCPOY) program requires daycares to offer subsidized family daycare for children up to age 5.
But not every single daycare is guaranteed the subsidy. Ontario’s Daycare Services Regulation Act (DSRA) provides parents who apply for an Ontario subsidized child care subsidy that daycare has to apply for the subsidy as well.
“The intention of the law is to ensure that all daycares are able to participate in the daycare subsidy, but in practice this can be difficult in an era when the subsidies require parents to pay up to $10,000 in fees,” said Paul Wells, an assistant professor in the Department of Social Work at Queen’s University.
“Daycares must also comply with Ontario’s other daycare regulations, such as the Health and Welfare of the Child Act (which requires food and physical education programs to be delivered in a manner that is suitable for the child’s age, development and physical ability), the Daycare Services Regulation Act, and the Child Care Standards Act.”
Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering a child care provider in Toronto and are seeking daycare subsidy support. This will help you understand what you can expect in terms of the requirements and how you can file your own subsidy application.
Not every daycare in Toronto is eligible for Ontario’s subsidized daycare subsidy. In 2017, there were 707 daycares serving about 3,500 children in Toronto, according to the Province.
The maximum amount you can qualify for in the subsidy depends on where you live in the city. You can qualify for up to $4,350 a year. Where you live, the subsidy amount will vary depending on the size of the daycare and whether a member of the household has a disability. It’s up to your local social service to determine what your
