City says 94 per cent of licensed child care centres in Ottawa opted in for $10-a-day program

Ninety-four per cent of licensed child care service providers in Ottawa have registered for the Canada wide $10-a-day child care program according to a memo from the City of Ottawa. 

In the memo to council members released on Nov. 2, Jason Sabourin, director, children’s services community and social services department said that as of Nov. 1, 140 licensed centres in Ottawa have signed up for the program. 

Tuesday, Nov. 1 was the deadline for child care providers to register for the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care system which reduces child care costs to $10-a-day over four years. Municipalities have to sign up the licensed centres and agencies into the new system and distribute the funding to lower costs. 

Sabourin noted in the memo approximately that 21,000 eligible children will benefit this year from a fee reduction of up to 25 per cent, retroactive to Friday, April 1, 2022.

For 2023, funding will be provided to reduce parent fees by a further 37 per cent to a floor of $12 per day equating to an average of 50 per cent fee reduction based on 2020 average fees.

The pandemic has highlighted how essential child care services are for the social and economic well being of our families and community,” said Sabourin in the memo. “Given current rising costs due to inflation and pressures on household incomes, the Canada-Wide system affordability benefits are potentially life-changing for families. For example, a family currently paying $74 per day in child care fees for their 18 month old will see a refund of approximately $3,500, retroactive to April 1, 2022 and additionally for 2023, will have an annual savings of $12, 229 on their child care fees.”