Canada-Wide Early Learning & Child Care (CWELCC) System

The Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system supports quality, accessibility, affordability, and inclusivity in licensed child care.

CWELCC Growth & Expansion is key to ensuring the CWELCC system will:

  • Create more affordable, quality licensed child care spaces;
  • Continue to support the early childhood workforce through enhanced compensation, training, and professional learning opportunities; and
  • Improve accessibility by addressing barriers to providing inclusive and flexible child care.

The Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system is a five-year plan that focuses on:

  • Increasing family access to more affordable and high-quality child care options
  • Lowering child care fees for parents and guardians of children under the age of 6
  • Increasing child care spaces
  • Supporting the child care workforce
  • Supporting inclusive child care

Visit the Ministry’s Canada-Ontario early years and child care agreement webpage for more information on Ontario’s plan to provide more accessible child care options and lower fees.

CWELCC & Child Care Fee Subsidy

  • As of January 1, 2025, child care fees are capped at $22 per day. Please reach out to the Child Care Centre or Home Child Care Agency directly for detailed information about program fees.
  • Families can find agencies that are participating in CWELCC and that accept fee subsidy by using the Find a Child Care Near You, A-Z Child Care listing, and/or Licensed Home Child Care Page. Child care fee subsidy continues to be available for eligible families to assist with the cost of child care. For more information and how to apply for a fee subsidy, visit Child Care Fee Subsidy or call 416-338-8888.

Applications for the 2025 CWELCC Expansion, Start-up Grant and Infrastructure Fund have closed.

All Child Care Centres CWELCC Expansion, Start-up Grant & Infrastructure Fund applications will be reviewed and approved based on Toronto Children’s Services eligibility criteria, priorities, and its space and funding allocations. These align with the Ministry of Education’s Access and Inclusion Framework as well as the Toronto Children’s Services Growth Strategy. Other eligibility requirements may be developed and applied by the City of Toronto related to Directed Growth.

Eligibility

Child Care Agencies that meet the following expansion criteria are eligible to apply:

  • Not-for-Profit Agencies
  • Francophone Agencies
  • Indigenous-led Agencies
  • Black-Led, Black-Mandated and Black-Serving Organizations
  • TCS is currently prioritizing and approving new full-time spaces for infant, toddler and preschool age groups. The expansion of kindergarten before and after school spaces is processed in coordination with the Toronto school boards.

At this this time, we have paused on accepting applications from Commercial Agencies based on our current auspice goals.

Start-up Grant and Infrastructure Fund

Requests for Start-up Grant and/or Infrastructure Fund must be submitted through the CWELCC application process and subject to the expansion criteria outlined above. Please refer to the Ministry of Education CWELCC Guidelines (Updated March 2025) for complete details about the Start-up Grant and Infrastructure Fund, eligible and ineligible expenses.

Note: School-based programs, facilities owned by school boards, kindergarten and before and after school programs are ineligible for the Start-up Grant and Infrastructure Fund.

Available Support

Review the 2025 CWELCC Expansion Guide for Child Care Centres for more details. For questions about the CWELCC expansion process, please email TCSgrowth@toronto.ca

Child Care Agencies already enrolled in CWELCC may contact their Toronto Children’s Services, District Consultant.

Applications for the 2025 CWELCC Expansion, Start-up Grant and Infrastructure Fund have closed.

    All Home Child Care CWELCC Expansion, Start-up Grant & Infrastructure Fund applications will be reviewed and approved based on Toronto Children’s Services eligibility criteria, priorities, and its space and funding allocations. These align with the Ministry of Education’s Access and Inclusion Framework as well as the Toronto Children’s Services Growth Strategy. Other eligibility requirements may be developed and applied by the City of Toronto related to Directed Growth.

    Eligibility

    Home Child Care Agencies that meet the following expansion criteria are eligible to apply:

    • Not-for-Profit Home Child Care Agencies
    • Francophone Agencies
    • Indigenous-led Agencies
    • Black-Led, Black-Mandated, and Black-Serving Organizations
    • Commercial Home Child Care Agencies may be considered

    Applications from Commercial Home Child Care Agencies may be considered as outlined in the Ministry of Education CWELCC Guidelines (Updated March 2025), Chapter 2.1, page 11, “for the purposes of the CWELCC Agreement, all home child care agency licensees are deemed to be not-for-profit licensed child care, regardless of auspice”.

    Start-up Grant

    Agencies approved for CWELCC enrollment and with a Service Agreement with the City of Toronto, may request for Start-up Grant funding when assigning a net new home on the license and the home is ready to accept enrollment.

    Home Child Care Agencies may be eligible to receive grants of up to $1,200 per new CWELCC space created, to a maximum of $7,200 per Home Child Care Provider.

    Available Support

    Review the 2025 CWELCC Expansion Guide for Home Child Care for more details. For questions about the CWELCC expansion process, please email TCSgrowth@toronto.ca

    Home Child Care Agencies already enrolled in CWELCC may contact their Toronto Children’s Services, District Consultant.

    For information about Workforce Compensation, Wage Enhancement Grant (WEG) and Home Child Care Enhancement Grant (HCCEG), please see Toronto Children’s Services (TCS)’ 2025 WEG, HCCEG and Workforce Requirements Guide.

    Additional Resources:

    • TCS has developed a CWELCC 2025 Workforce Illustration Tool as a resource to assist licensed child care agencies in understanding the CWELCC Workforce Compensation and Wage Enhancement calculations for their eligible staff. The tool is accessible by contacting the District Consultant assigned to your Agency.

    For information on prior years Provincial Wage Enhancement and Home Child Care Enhancement Grant, go to Contract & Financial Information, under Documents.

    Within the Province of Ontario, service system managers (SSM/CMSM) are designated under the Child Care and Early Years Act, to manage child care services and early years programs and services across the province.

    As the service system manager (SSM/CMSM) for Toronto, the City’s role in the CWELCC system is to:

    • Implement the provincial guidelines;
    • Establish local policies, procedures, and funding approaches;
    • Develop and implement an application and approval process for the CWELCC system;
    • Contract for CWELCC funding through Service Agreements;
    • Provide fiscal oversight & funding; and
    • Report to the Ministry of Education and Toronto City Council on the CWELCC system.

      For more information, Agencies can contact the consultant assigned to the child care location or Agency. Contact information can be found in the A-Z Listing.

      If an Agency wishes to dispute CWELCC funding policy or guideline interpretation, the Agency can draft a formal letter to the General Manager (GM) of Toronto Children’s Services and send it to childcare@toronto.ca, outlining the issues and requesting a review. The GM will then initiate an internal review and communicate the outcome via a formal letter.