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