Item - 2023.EC8.10

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:    

1. City Council reaffirm the City of Toronto’s support for building a system of early learning and child care services that are high-quality, public and not-for profit, affordable, inclusive and accessible for all families.

2. City Council request the Federal and Provincial Governments to consult with the City and provide capital and operating funding to reflect the regional and actual costs of developing and operating child care spaces in Toronto; provide capital expansion funding required to meet Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care targets in the not-for-profit and public sector for Toronto set out in the Province’s Access and Inclusion Framework and the City’s Growth Strategy; and provide operating funding that meets the sector's needs in Toronto.

3. City Council requests the Province of Ontario to develop a workforce strategy for the early years and child care sector that includes an investment to increase wages and benefits to levels that achieve parity with positions in the public sector in Toronto.

4. City Council express its support of Bill 49, the Early Years and Child Care Worker Advisory Commission Act, to Ontario's Minister of Education and all Toronto Members of Provincial Parliament.

5. City Council request the General Manager, Children’s Services, in consultation with the Chair, Economic and Community Development Committee, to convene a roundtable meeting of City and School Board staff, families, educators, supervisors, unions, experts, and other community stakeholders for the purpose of enhancing information sharing and community advocacy in support of successful implementation of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care program in Toronto.

6. City Council call on the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada to include the City of Toronto and other large municipalities in discussions that are underway to renew the Canada-Ontario Action Plans.

7. City Council forward the item to the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA) and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) with the request that the item be shared with child care Service System Managers.

This report provides an update on Children’s Services progress on expanding the licensed child care system, including the number of spaces constructed since the adoption of the Licensed Child Care Growth Strategy (“Growth Strategy”) in 2017 and the capital funding sources that have supported the creation of these child care spaces. It also provides an update on Children’s Services application process for the expansion of child care as part of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) Directed Growth Plan.