Durham Region receives additional funding to support access to affordable child care

Whitby, Ontario – The Regional Municipality of Durham has received more than $4 million in provincial funding from the Ministry of Education to increase access to affordable licensed child care spaces, support new child care fee subsidies, and reduce fee subsidy waiting lists, as part of the provincial Child Care Expansion Plan.

“This financial commitment ensures that Durham families continue to have access to high-quality child care,” said Roger Anderson, Regional Chair and Chief Executive Officer. “It allows staff to maintain the excellent service that our residents have come to expect, while meeting the growing needs of our communities. It is an investment in our future.”

With this provincial contribution, Durham will expand child care services to 670 children, four years of age and under, by the end of 2018. Employees from the Children’s Services Division are currently working with Ministry of Education staff to develop plans to implement this service target.

“The announcement of this additional funding is great news for our child care community and families,” said Roxanne Lambert, Director of Children’s Services. “We look forward to working in collaboration with our provincial partners to increase service levels. We are excited to support families in finding affordable child care options.”

The Social Services Department, Children’s Services Division is designated by the province as the Consolidated Municipal Service Manager (CMSM) for Durham Region. It is responsible for planning, managing and funding the early years and child care system, which includes: purchase-of-service contracts with 245 child care programs, home child care agencies and recreational service programs; managing funding to stabilize and support licensed child care programs; the child care fee subsidy system; and overseeing funding for children with special needs.

In September 2016, the Government of Ontario made a historic commitment in announcing a major Child Care Expansion Plan. According to this plan, 100,000 more children from across the province, aged zero to four years old, will have access to the licensed child care system during the next five years.

Learn more about the provincial Renewed Early Years and Child Care Policy Framework and Expansion.

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