Apply for a Child Care Fee Subsidy

A Child Care Fee Subsidy helps a family with the cost of licensed child care. There is a waitlist, so apply as soon as possible. You can apply for a fee subsidy as soon as you know you are pregnant or expecting a child through adoption.

Use the Child Care Fee Subsidy Calculator to find out if your family might be eligible for a Child Care Fee Subsidy and to estimate how much you will have to pay.

A family that needs help with the cost of licensed child care for their children (up to 12 years old) and meets the following criteria:

  • Your family lives in Toronto or is moving to Toronto
  • Each parent/guardian is either employed, in school or planning to go to school, or a parent/guardian or child has an extra support need (the term “extra support needs” was previously referred to as “special needs”)
  • Each parent/guardian has filed their income taxes for the most recent tax year
  • If you are a new immigrant to Canada this year, or if you are under 18 years of age, you may apply without your most recent tax return

Apply for Child Care Fee Subsidy Online

  • or call 416-338-8888.
  • If you receive Ontario Works, contact your Ontario Works caseworker to apply.

To apply, you will need

  • Your Canada Revenue Agency, Notice of Assessment (NOA) or Notice of Reassessment. (To replace a NOA call 1-800-959-8281)
  • Your Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) Statement, if applicable
  • The names of the child care programs you are interested in. Parents should phone and visit each child care program to make sure it meets their family’s needs. Our Licensed Child Care page can help you find a program.
  1. Once you have applied, you will receive an email confirming that you have been placed on the City’s Child Care Fee Subsidy waitlist.
    • Keep this email as it indicates your waitlist date and client file number.
    • Contact the child care programs you are interested in and let them know you are on the waitlist for a child care fee subsidy.
  2. When your name comes to the top of the child care fee subsidy waitlist, a caseworker will contact you to
    • arrange a meeting to discuss your eligibility and your child care options.
    • help you register for My Child Care Account, which is a secure online portal used to upload all the required documents for the meeting.
  3. At the meeting, if all eligibility criteria are met, you will officially be offered Child Care Fee Subsidy and you will be given a period of time to find a child care program.

Important: You cannot use the online application to re-apply, change your address/phone number, or update any information to an existing application.

Please call 416-338-8888 to re-apply or to make changes to your Child Care Fee Subsidy Application.