Changes to Ontario Childcare on the horizon!!!! Good news, ladies :)

I'm Christine from the Executive Committee of the Coalition of Independent Childcare Providers of Ontario. We were informed a few days ago of this announcement, but were sworn to secrecy by Lisa McLeod and the Ministry of Education. Please see the announcement below that was just made public by CICPO about an hour ago. We still have to go through public consultations and whatnot, just like with the inception of the CCEYA. With a majority government in our favour, the likelihood is extremely high that we will see these changes in the new year. There will be, I would think, a media smear campaign against us put forth by the licensed sector lobbyists. I hope that we can call on all of you for support when needed. This is very exciting news and is the result of 5 years of grueling work and lobbying by CICPO and our members. Congrats ladies! Relief is on its way :)

CICPO Coalition of Independent Childcare Providers of Ontario
1 hr ·
This afternoon in the Ontario Legislature, Minister Smith tabled a Bill called Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act. This Bill covers many ministries, the Ministry of Education component, specifically child care, that relates to you as a home child care provider is as follows:

1) Home child care providers in both the licensed and non-licensed sectors would not be required to count their own 4 & 5 year olds in their totals at any time.
2) Home child care providers in both the licensed and non-licensed sectors would be able to care for up to three children under 24 months within their totals.

It is expected that these changes will be debated in the House in February. If all goes to plan they may be in effect by the summer.

On behalf of CICPO's members and partners we want to congratulate this government for its continued support of Ontario families and the Independent child care sector. This new bill not only shows great courage and foresight by its continued recognition of the enormous value and professionalism of the independent child care sector but rights the wrongs of the previous government's short sighted and biased regulations under the CCEYA. This legislation will began to restore the tens of thousands of affordable, high quality spaces lost to Ontario families over the last two years under the previous administration and allow Ontario's families to once again be in charge of the decision making regarding their children's care.

Thank you so much cfred. As I mentioned before no changes until 2020 (I guess when I got my inf. Was counted as the school years go ex. Sep 2019 to Jun 2020) Anyway absolutely wonderful news.

Thank you.

Wow, that's interesting. I believe only Alberta currently doesn't count their own household children ever. Every other province has to count their own either all the time or if they are physically on the premises (before school, after school, school closure days, sick and out of school) until they are around 12 years old even if the other parent is home to care for the household child.

Ontario Icp's, please be aware and post your comments in evety social media you are. It was only four hours since the public announcement and "the star" has published in maNY websites for people to make their comments, in four hours 260 replies already against it. I'm sure by now it might have increased even more.

Yep, we have to present ourselves properly. That article was rife with misinformation. Not sure how that's even legal without a retraction. At any rate, CICPO is putting together an op ed piece. So everyone knows what we're doing - we're not nearly done yet. These changes are a nice start, but we want more. We are pushing for mandatory safety requirements in order to provide care at all including appropriate First Aid/CPR, criminal background check and insurance. We also still want the provincial registry. I'm meeting with insurance management from my brokerage on Monday night to start working on a group insurance plan. They're keen and coming to my home, so that's cool. I also started the ball rolling on group rates for St John's Ambulance and will return to that. That's just what I'm doing. The others are also working and planning. So things are definitely moving in the right direction and now we have a government that listens to us. Good things are on their way!

Here are some facts about the new proposed changes:

The Ontario Government is making positive changes to home child care.

How does this REALLY effect home daycare?

It will open up childcare spots for children between newborn and 23 months. Families with twins and triplets will have an easier time finding one daycare that can take all of their children instead of having to split them up to different homes. This will help reclaim a small portion of the under 24 months spots lost due to the creation of the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA).

According to the Coalition of Independent Childcare Providers of Ontario (CICPO) as many as 1,600 members were forced out of business by the CCEYA. As a result around 80,000 home child care spots were lost. These numbers only reflect the ones who reported their closures. The number of business owners and child care spots lost is actually much higher. This has made it extremely hard for families to find quality child care. Some families have resorted to accepting spots in illegal daycares knowingly putting their own children at risk.

Some facts about the new proposed changes

FACT #1:

Currently the law is as of November 1, 2018:

- Unlicensed providers can have five (5) children under 13 years old. Out of that five (5) only two (2) can be between newborn and 23 months (under 2 years).

- Licensed providers can have six (6) children under 13 years old. Out of that six (6) only two (2) can be between newborn and 23 months (under 2 years).

Bill 66 as currently written would change it too:

- Unlicensed providers can have five (5) children under 13 years old. Out of that five (5) only three children can be between newborn and 23 months (under 2 years)

- Licensed providers can have six (6) children under 13 years old. Out of that six (6) only three children can be between newborn and 23 months (under 2 years)

In summary:

Increasing the number of children under 24 months does NOT increase the total number of daycare children a provider can have on the premises at any given time.
It will still be a maximum of five (5) children for unlicensed providers and a maximum of six (6) for licenced providers.

FACT #2:

Currently the law is as of November 1, 2018:

All (licensed and unlicensed) provider’s own children under 6 years old count in their numbers. With a strict exception for their children that are ages 4 and 5 years old during the school year.

Bill 66 as currently written would change it too:

All (licensed and unlicensed) provider’s own children will not count once they are 4 years old all year.

In Summary:

A providers own children 4 and 5 years old would be in school six (6) hours a day Monday to Friday for ten (10) months of the year. These children will not be around during the majority of time the provider is open. The provider’s maximum number of daycare children again will not increase, as her own children ages 4 and 5 years old will no longer count as daycare children. This can increase the number of children on the premises during daycare hours and this will help open more childcare spots.







FACT #3

The current law is as of November 1, 2018:

The Two Provider Model is for licenced providers ONLY and currently not allowed except for a few test projects.
The model: Two child care providers can have a maximum of twelve (12) children, five (5) children each, between the ages of newborn and 13 years old. With no more than four (4) children, two (2) children each, under the age of 24 months (2 years). The agency holds the right to NOT allow the full maximum number of children and age allowances stated in the CCEYA if the agency fills the providers cannot handle the number or the daycare space is not large enough.


Bill 66 as currently written would change it too:

The Two Provider Model is for licenced providers ONLY. There is no mention about allowing unlicensed providers to operate under the two provider model.
The model: Two child care providers can have a maximum of twelve (12) children, five (5) children each, between the ages of newborn and 13 years old. With no more than six (6) children, three (3) children each, under the age of 24 months (2 years). The agency holds the right to NOT allow the full maximum number of children and age allowances stated in the CCEYA if the agency feels the providers cannot handle the number or the daycare space is not large enough.

In Summary

This would bring the numbers for the two provider model in line with the new proposed numbers for individual providers.


All these changes will help parents with a child under 2 years, twins and triplets find quality child care spots.

These changes are necessary to help prevent parents from having to choose an illegal daycare over a legal (licensed or unlicensed) daycare.
Currently there are parents in some areas that are so desperate for child care they are asking, begging providers to break the law. Some parents are offering to pay extra for a provider to terminate a present client and take their children instead. Parents need to step up and start reporting providers who are operating illegally in order to help the Ministry of Education shut them down and keep Ontario’s children safe.


The media has been stating that the government will increase unlicensed daycare numbers to six (6) and that the government wants a registry for unlicensed home daycares. Both are very welcome in the unlicensed sector. Unlicensed providers have spent years fighting for these changes. However, currently PCCNG have not been able to find official confirmation on these. So until further notice PCCNG is classifying these claims as rumors.


Official Link to: Bill 66, Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act, 2018;
https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-b...sion-1/bill-66

Below is a copy of a letter that The Honourable Lisa Thompson,
Minister of Education wrote in regards to the new proposal.

Valerie E. Martelock-Crawford
Parents and Child Care Networking Group (PCCNG)

MEMORANDUM TO: Child Care and Early Years Partners

FROM: The Honourable Lisa Thompson Minister of Education

DATE: December 6, 2018

SUBJECT: Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act: legislative Amendments related to Child Care and Early Years Programs

Dear Partners,

This year, the people of Ontario gave our government a clear mandate to make life easier for families all across this province.

As Minister of Education, I believe that a strong child care and early years system plays a key role in helping families raise their children. Quality programs allow parents to pursue their career goals while simultaneously giving their children benefits to help them better prepare for school and for life.

This is why we are working hard to create a new child care plan for Ontario, a plan that helps make life easier for families by:

1. Reducing red tape and administrative burden

2. Making child care more affordable

3. Increasing choice and availability for families, and

4. Improving quality and delivering high standards of care

Our first steps toward this plan were taken already with the release of the 2018 Child Care Service Management and Funding Guideline, which gave local service system managers more choice in allocating funding to better serve the needs of their communities.

Our next step includes the proposal of four legislative amendments to the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (CCEYA) and the Education Act that were introduced in the Legislature today as part of the government’s proposed Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act. These proposed amendments are designed to help make it easier for home-based child care providers and authorized recreational and skill building programs to serve more children by:

1. Lowering the age at which home child care providers must count their own children towards the maximum allowable number of children in care, from 6 to 4 years old

2. Reducing the age requirement for authorized recreational and skill building programs that serve children after school from 6 to 4 years old

3. Increasing the number of young children that home child care providers can have in their care, from two under 2 years old to three under 2 years old, and

4. Removing the restriction that a parent must receive financial assistance before in-home services can be provided for their child.

The first two of these proposed amendments would better align the child care and early years system with schools, and reflect the fact that children in Ontario are eligible to attend kindergarten in the year that they turn four years old. The third and fourth proposed amendments are designed to increase flexibility for home child care providers (both licensed and independent home child care providers).

In addition to these amendments, the ministry also intends to consult with the sector on a broad series of regulatory updates under the CCEYA. These proposals will be designed to give families more affordable quality child care options while further reducing administrative burden for families, service system managers, child care operators, early childhood educators, and home-based child care providers. More information about this consultation will be provided early in the New Year.

The effective provision of child care and early years programs and services requires dedication, skill and coordination across this province. I thank you for all your help and I hope you stay engaged with the ministry as we take steps together to help families and children all across Ontario.

Sincerely,

The Honourable Lisa Thompson
Minister of Education

if two providers work together now how many infants are they able to have assuming they don’t have any young children of their own. My kiddos are all in high school so I’m asduming they won’t count in my ratios but hey you never know lol

Also how would this differ in the new Bill 66 is passed. I can get my head around it. Also this is a private home daycare not one affiliated with an agency

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Originally Posted by littleredwagon

Also how would this differ in the new Bill 66 is passed. I can get my head around it. Also this is a private home daycare not one affiliated with an agency

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Hi. So far the proposed "two caregiver model" isn't and won't be available for the independent sector.

So, if it is a go, most likely will be in the licensed sector but, also they're evaluating (qualifications, experience, physical space of rooms, insurance , etc) so it won't be as easy as it sounds. Even if licensed with an agency they won't allow right away to fill the spots, some homes due to space might qualify for a max of 7 or 8 etc.

They're currently working on that but, it also isn't looking positive there is a lot negative comments. The fact of just changing the two under two's to three under two's it seems a huge struggle for people to understand.

In regards of placing infants also I was explained that it won't work as first comes first served. They will have to evaluate how the group and the two caregivers are working and if it is going well then they can allow to go ahead and include one more infant in care. And they were also clear to say that currently they have providers with bast experience and certification, basically if they approve those caregivers that have already a history with the agency then, those will be the ones starting the "pilot programs".

It doesnt seem as easy as it sounds.

BLUE ROSE:

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....twins and triplets find quality child care spots.*

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This already exists and is supported in the licensed sector, agencies have a form to fill-out and it is at the discretion of the director to go ahead or not (allowing three under two's in special cases such as siblings etc).

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3. Increasing the number of young children that home child care providers can have in their care, from two under 2 years old to three under 2 years old...

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Ok, here I find a big misunderstanding, I now know, why many people is so upset or against it.

I do not think the term "increase" should have been used. It was probably better to use "change" or "keep same adult child ratio with the adjustment of..." all the media is giving this information wrong making believe that the Ford government decided to "increase adult child ratios".

Now it makes sense, I was thinking why people was misunderstanding, proposed ratios are same but will have two adjustments, three under two's and 4 and 5 yo.(school age) caregivers children wouldn't count in that ratio.

A question to Cfred.

I've noticed that the so called advocates for "better childcare", have moved on and are sending letters at a federal level (Trudeau), would that affect in the decision making process for us in Ontario? We are only asking the 3 under 3's and caregivers 4 and 5 yo not being included.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Peacefulbird

A question to Cfred.

I've noticed that the so called advocates for "better childcare", have moved on and are sending letters at a federal level (Trudeau), would that affect in the decision making process for us in Ontario? We are only asking the 3 under 3's and caregivers 4 and 5 yo not being included.

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Can u share where u noticed this? Tx

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Peacefulbird

A question to Cfred.

I've noticed that the so called advocates for "better childcare", have moved on and are sending letters at a federal level (Trudeau), would that affect in the decision making process for us in Ontario? We are only asking the 3 under 3's and caregivers 4 and 5 yo not being included.

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As far as I understand it, the ins and outs of childcare are left to each province to sort out. They are looking for more federal funding and, of course, looking to get UCC going. We are fine with UCC, but would like to be included in it, of course. The licensed sector will always fight us on that - they don't want to share funding and want a monopoly on the market. Ignore them and carry on. The Federal Election is coming up, so they're likely looking to secure some campaign promises. Be advised that I don't follow Federal politics at all....I'm up to my neck in Provincial and have had my fill for a while. I remain unconcerned about our changes being in jeopardy. We have a majority government that supports us. Our chances are very good - we are actively holding the PC government to promises made when we supported their campaign. We also discovered that we have a very unexpected ally in the MOE, which blew my mind! I'm feeling very positive that our changes will be made. In addition, we're striving toward a provincial registry with mandatory safety standards, professional development opportunities and mandatory childcare workshops.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ebhappydc

Can u share where u noticed this? Tx

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I've been seeing it a lot through the OCBCC, HCCAO, etc. Any of the lobby groups will be on the same track.

Appears this passed in early April.
I am unsure what this means for numbers though and counting your own children anyone able to give quick run down?

The changes passed Royal Assent on April 3, 2019

They come into effect on:

As of July 1, 2019
- a provider in Ontario can have three (3) children under two (2) years old in care at any one time.
- a providers own children no longer count as of their 4th birthday at any time of the year, with no restrictions.

As of September 1, 2019
- a providers own children age 3.8yrs (turning 4 between Sept 2019 and Dec 2019) no longer counts in her numbers at any time, with no restrictions.

Private providers can STILL only have a max of 5 daycare children plus their own children 4yrs +.
Agency providers can STILL only have a max of 6 daycare children plus their own children 4yrs +.
ALL providers - own children STILL count if they are under 4 yrs old.

Appreciate the quick reply.
My son is currently 4 (birthday in Jan) so he would currently still count in my numbers until Sept 1?


Never mind re-read your posting and he is not counted as of July 1. Appreciate the information.

I think this should help dc providers with enrolment except now ive heard many students enrolled in teacher programs will turn to operating a daycare business due to teacher hiring freeze. It's always something.

[QUOTEI think this should help dc providers with enrolment except now ive heard many students enrolled in teacher programs will turn to operating a daycare business due to teacher hiring freeze. It's always something.][/QUOTE]

Hi. I think it is actually better for our sector. "Independent", I'm tired of hea ring continuously in the media how our sector doesn't have the qualifications or experience or childcare knowledge etc.

Obviously not true, many of us carry profesional certifications. I think, if we have more profesional representation in our sector would work best in our favor.

Many children and parents wI'll keep benefiting of profesional, independent entrepreneurs homedaycare operators, the populations continues increasing and there is room for everyone to be part of it.��

QUOTE: Hi. I think it is actually better for our sector. "Independent", I'm tired of hea ring continuously in the media how our sector doesn't have the qualifications or experience or childcare knowledge etc.

Obviously not true, many of us carry profesional certifications. I think, if we have more profesional representation in our sector would work best in our favor.

Many children and parents wI'll keep benefiting of profesional, independent entrepreneurs homedaycare operators, the populations continues increasing and there is room for everyone to be part of it.��[/QUOTE]

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ______


Oh true, I didn't think of it as a better representation of professionals in our sector - just as more competition ! It'll be a far cry from what they could have earned as a teacher but some may not have a choice.

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Oh true, I didn't think of it as a better representation of professionals in our sector - just as more competition ! It'll be a far cry from what they could have earned as a teacher but some may not have a choice.

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Thank you for reconsidering your view. I know it might seem competitive. But, let's don't forget that helping others also is helping ourselves. I have helped and guided new caregivers, shared resources and tips (an open book), when it was time for them to move on, in their lives (due to new jobs or changes in their families or moving out, etc) guess what?, I was their first choise to pass their list of clients on or their first choise to pass along new clients etc. I have learned that being helpful to others, I was also helping myself;0)

Until now, I still get their recommendations. As mentioned before our population keeps growing, never spend time even thinking on the competition, spend your valuable time in inspiring others in growing and learning yourself and doing the best you can with what you currently have:0)

Hi there, I just want to confirm....can I have 3 children under the age of 2, here in Ontario? Thanks so much for a reply.

@susansmith- yes you can have 3 children under 2 years in Ontario.

As of July 1, 2019 - IN ONTARIO

- a provider can now have 3 children under the age of 2 yrs.
- a providers own child aged 4yrs + no longer counts in the providers numbers.

However you should check with your insurance company as not all daycare insurance policies follow the CCEYA.