Ontario Announces New Child Care Workforce Strategy and Safe Arrival and Dismissal Policy

The government is launching the most significant and comprehensive Child Care Workforce Strategy in Ontario’s history that will deliver increased wages to Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) and a multipronged strategy to recruit and retain qualified educators. Initiatives include:

• Increasing the starting wage by 19.3 per cent for RECEs employed by child care operators enrolled in the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care system to $23.86/hour from $20/hour
• Increasing wages annually by $1/hour per year (on top of the existing increase under the federal program) 
• Supporting vertical growth in the profession and dedicated and funded professional development
• Cutting red tape for employers and providing more flexibility in staffing their programs
• Launching an ad campaign to bolster awareness & value of the profession

The government is also taking action to further protect the safety of children. Starting January 1, 2024, all licensed child care operators will be required to implement a Safe Arrival and Dismissal Policy. This policy will ensure that when a child does not arrive at the licensed child care program or is not picked up as expected, parents will be informed in line with existing protocols within Ontario’s publicly funded schools. 

The government has already cut child care fees by 50 per cent, and today’s announcement helps lay the foundation for the creation of 86,000 new spaces by 2026. 

News Releases;

EN: Ontario Announces New Child Care Workforce Strategy and Safe Arrival and Dismissal Policy

FR: L’Ontario annonce une nouvelle stratégie pour la main-d’œuvre des services de garde d’enfants et une politique d’arrivée et de départ en toute sécurité