Ontario Announces Comprehensive Strategy to Boost Child Care Workforce and Protect Children

November 16, 2023

Major enhancements to wages and working conditions supporting greater access to affordable and safe child care

The Ontario government is launching the most significant and comprehensive Child Care Workforce Strategy in the province’s history. Supported by funding through the Canada-Ontario Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, Ontario’s plan will deliver increased wages to Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) and a multipronged strategy to recruit and retain qualified educators.

The government of Ontario is also taking action to further protect the safety of children by requiring all licensed child care operators to implement a Safe Arrival and Dismissal Policy by January 1, 2024. This 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. This closes a gap that will protect children from exceptional and preventable tragedies.

After extensive consultation, the province has developed a workforce strategy that responds to the issues and priorities of the sector. Starting in 2024, initiatives in the strategy include:

Increasing the starting wage for RECEs employed by child care operators enrolled in the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system to $23.86/hour in 2024 from the planned $20/hour
Extending the eligibility ceiling for a $1/hour increase so more RECEs can benefit
Supporting entry into the profession and career development
Cutting red tape for employers and providing more flexibility in staffing their programs
Launching a promotional campaign to bolster awareness and value of the child care profession

This wage enhancement builds on actions taken by the province through the introduction in 2022 of a new wage floor for RECEs working in settings participating in the CWELCC system which includes annual $1/hour wage increases beginning in 2023.