Ontario launching $200M grant for new child-care spaces

Ontario is launching a $213-million grant program for child-care operators to create new spaces.

The province committed in its $10-a-day deal with the federal government in March to create 71,000 new child-care spaces by 2026 and the government says it has already made progress, with 53,000 spaces left to be created.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce says the new, one-time grants will help new and existing child-care operators offset initial costs of expanding or creating spaces, such as buying equipment or renovating facilities.

The government says the grants will be prioritized in areas with historically low rates of availability.

Lecce is with federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Families, Children and Social Development Minister Karina Gould today to highlight fee reductions for families whose children are enrolled in licensed child-care centres that have opted in to the national program.

Families should be receiving rebates for 25 per cent on average off their fees back to April, with that increasing to 50 per cent reductions by the end of this year.