A one-year contract extension has been signed between the provincial and federal governments for childcare in Bruce County.
The Canada-Wide Early Learning Child Care (CWELCC) agreement was extended through 2026.
The province’s Ministry of Education confirmed successful negotiation for the agreement, which was set to expire on March 31st.
The agreement provides adequate funding for child care in the region, and to sustain parent fees at their current levels.
The average price is currently at $19 per day, with the high end in Bruce County at $22 per day.
According to a report, presented to Bruce County council by Children’s Services Manager Gillian Andrews, shared that in addition to providing a one-year funding extension, the Ministry will also be supporting two new funding streams.
Early Childhood Educator (ECE) promotional funding will be made available to service system managers, in order to promote the need for and impact of ECEs.
There will also be time-limited Innovation funding for 2026 that is aimed at supporting the development and implementation of innovative strategies to support recruitment and retention of child care and early years employees.
The provincial ministry acknowledged that while the one-year extension doesn’t resolve current funding pressures, it does ensure continuity and clarity in the short term.