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Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Directed Growth
We have been working closely with our Ministry of Education colleagues, to determine any potential flexibility in our space allocations (and associated funding). We are pleased to share we will be proceeding with a limited number of 2024 approvals imminently. As indicated consistently throughout this process, with the high volume of applications received for 2024, we are not able to approve every application received from pre-qualified operators.
Before the end of March, each applicant will be contacted directly and receive formal notification if approved for CWELCC enrolled spaces or not approved. If your program is not awarded CWELCC specific growth spaces at this time, please know that the discussions with you will help us contemplate how we might proceed with directed growth allocations in future years.
We are enthusiastic to move forward with CWELCC directed growth approvals for 2024. Our commitment to increase affordable access to high-quality inclusive early learning and child care for children and families in our highest priority neighbourhoods in Simcoe County remains a top priority and we thank you for your interest in partnering with us in this.
Early Learning and Child Care Licensees can apply to be included on the County of Simcoe’s Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Directed Growth Pre-Qualified List.
The Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) agreement is a plan that supports a licensed early years and child care system that is committed to high-quality early years experiences, access equity, affordability, and inclusive conditions in early learning and child care.
As CWELCC continues to make child care more affordable for families, the demand for care is expected to increase. The County of Simcoe intends to increase access to licensed early learning and child care in targeted neighbourhoods by supporting the creation of 3,081 new spaces for children younger than 6 years, progressively each year, by the end of 2026. Should there be fluctuation to this number of new allocated spaces in Simcoe County, we will update this webpage regularly.
To comply with our Provincial-Municipal funding agreement, the County of Simcoe will be working to maintain its current early learning and child care operating system at a 71/29 percentage ratio of not-for-profit and for-profit child care spaces for children 6 years and younger in this directed growth initiative. We will monitor this requirement throughout implementation of the directed growth plan and provide updates to the early learning and child care sector.
We are committed to supporting the principles of the province’s access and inclusion framework as we operationalize our directed growth plan. Through complex data analyses of multiple socio-economic and demographic indicators, specific neighbourhoods in the following municipalities in Simcoe County are the initial priority areas for directed growth, the greater the density of colour in mapped neighbourhoods, the greater the priority in that neighbourhood:
Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) Directed Growth Application Process
All early learning and child care licensees are eligible to apply to the CWELCC directed growth plan if your project will be in operation by December 31, 2026. The following are some examples of when you will need to apply to the program through the County of Simcoe:
- Centre-based and home-based child care licensees who are already operating in Simcoe County and are already opted into CWELCC, and would like to revise current licensed capacity in an existing program that would increase the number of licensed spaces for 0-5year old children.
- Centre-based and home-based child care licensees who are already operating in Simcoe County and are already opted into CWELCC and would like to open a new site that would create new spaces for 0–5-year-old children.
- Centre-based and home-based early learning and child care licensees who are not currently operating in Simcoe County and would like to open a new early learning and child care site in Simcoe that would create new spaces for 0-5 year old children.
- Centre-based and home-based child care licensees who are already operating in Simcoe County but are not already opted in the CWELCC system.
For 1:1 consultation regarding whether your situation applies, please contact elcc@simcoe.ca
Before you apply, we encourage you to:
- Understand the initial priority neighbourhoods for directed growth in Simcoe County
- Review and understand Ontario’s Access and Inclusion Framework
- Understand the regulated process for becoming a Licensee
- Develop a viable business plan
With our commitment to the principles of the Access and Inclusion Framework, we are implementing a two-step application process for CWELCC Directed Growth in Simcoe County. The first step will be to become approved as a pre-qualified Licensee. Once approved as a pre-qualified Licensee, you will be eligible to apply if/when we announce opportunities for Directed Growth Projects. Only pre-qualified Licensees will be eligible to apply.
The pre-qualification submissions will be evaluated by a committee comprising County staff and a sector stakeholder. The evaluation criteria are clearly described in the RFPQ document and are based on alignment with the principles of the Access and Inclusion Framework as they relate to quality standards, staffing practices, financial viability, and approaches to access equity and inclusion.
Pre-qualified Licensees will be invited to apply for consideration for Directed Growth Projects. The applications will be scored based alignment of the proposed project to the greatest priority neighbourhoods identified, flexible hours and models of care relative to needs in the neighbourhood, equity-enrolment commitments, and must be approved according to our required not-for-profit and for-profit system operating ratio.
Future calls for Directed Growth Projects
Timelines for future calls will be updated on this website.
Thank you for your interest in participating in CWELCC Directed Growth in Simcoe County. When opportunities open to apply for specific directed growth projects in priority neighbourhoods across Simcoe County, they will be open to Operators on our Qualified Supplier List exclusively, as a result of a Request for Prequalification (RFPQ) process. Operators currently not on the County’s Qualified Supplier List may apply for consideration anytime, however applications will only be reviewed two times per year (November and May). If you are interested in submitting an application for inclusion on the Qualified Supplier List, please email bids@simcoe.ca to request the RFPQ package.
Submissions will be held until the next evaluation period in May 2024.
The 2024 Start Up Grant funding Guidelines are currently being updated and will be available for review as soon as possible.
Additional Resources
Review licensing requirements
Understand the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 and Ontario Regulation 137/15 before applying.
How to start a child care program in Ontario
If you are interested in opening a child care centre or home, you should review these resources before you apply for a licence:
- Child care licensing manual
- Home child care licensing manual
- Before and after school program licensing guideline
- Ministry of Education child care centre planning and design guidelines.
You can find more information from the Ministry about how to start a child care program.