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Ontario is taking steps to strengthen oversight of the province's unlicensed child care sector while increasing access to licensed child care options for families. The Child Care Modernization Act, to be introduced December 3, would allow the province to immediately shut down a child care provider when a child's safety is at risk.

Province Increasing Ontario Child Benefit, Improving the Quality of Child Care.

Excerpt: "As child care, early learning and the education system become increasingly integrated, more children will benefit from a stronger start in life. Family support programs offer a wide range of opportunities that promote healthy child development, foster children’s early learning through play, and support parents and families in their role as primary caregivers. The work that has already been done to create healthy, safer schools and to support the mental and physical health of children and youth provides an excellent blueprint for how we must work together in the future. This renewed vision must ensure that we build on the momentum we’ve achieved and equip our children and students with the skills they need to seize opportunities and overcome obstacles."

Excerpt: "How Does Learning Happen? is a professional learning resource developed to support Ontario’s renewed vision for the early years. It highlights the importance of strong leadership and collaborative practice across child care and child and family support programs. This approach will help to move us towards increasingly integrated services and programs for children and families in Ontario. This document will also inspire critical reflection with a focus on children’s learning, development, health and well-being. It articulates a view of children, families and educators as competent, capable and rich in potential. This will help transform practices in early years setting."

Excerpt: "Beginning July 2014, hundreds of thousands of Ontario families will receive another increase of up to $100 per child annually to their Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) payment. As a result of the 2013 and 2014 increases, an estimated 90,000 additional children in 46,000 more families are eligible for the OCB for the first time. With these increases, the benefit has more than doubled since 2008."

Excerpt: "With wage increases planned for early childhood educators and the provincewide availability of full-day kindergarten this fall, your government is ensuring that every child in Ontario has the best possible start in life. It will implement Achieving Excellence, a plan to take public education in Ontario from great to excellent by continually improving learning, so that young people are prepared to lead in the global economy."

Excerpt: "The Ontario government continues its support for families and children by re-introducing the Child Care Modernization Act, 2014. The legislation, if passed, would strengthen oversight of the province's unlicensed child care sector, while increasing access to licensed child care options for families. In addition, it would allow the province to immediately shut down a child care provider when a child's safety is at risk."

Excerpt: "2014 Ontario Budget Moves Forward With Plan to Create Jobs and Grow the Economy, Build Modern Transit and Infrastructure, and Help Ontarians with Their Retirement, While Balancing the Budget by 2017–18."

Province Investing in Better Schools for Improved Learning.

Excerpt: "The new Poverty Reduction Strategy — Realizing Our Potential — will expand our poverty reduction efforts to reach more vulnerable people and will continue to reduce poverty in Ontario."

Excerpt: "Every board shall, in every elementary school of the board in which instruction is given in grade 1, operate a full day junior kindergarten and kindergarten in accordance with paragraph 6.2 of subsection 170 (1) of the Act."

Excerpt: "Studies show that every dollar invested in early childhood education generates between $1.50 and nearly $3.00 in activity for the broader economy. Nearly 950,000 more Canadians are employed today than were before the pandemic. That includes a record 85.7 per cent labour force participation rate in July for Canadian women in their prime working years — and that is supported by our early learning and child care system, now nation wide. This level – 85.7 per cent – is a record high for Canada and it compares to just 77.5 per cent in the U.S."