Why modernize care

Ontario’s child care system has served us well, but hasn’t changed fundamentally since the 1980s. We are working to transform child care in Ontario to better reflect the realities of our modern world.

With full-day kindergarten, Ontario is at the forefront of a global transformation in early learning.

Ontario’s goal is to build a system that is high quality, seamless, and accessible for children and families. To support this goal, the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (CCEYA) came into effect on August 31, 2015 and established new rules governing child care in Ontario.

On May 9, 2016, the Ministry of Education filed new and revised regulations under the CCEYA and the Education Act. The new rules will take effect at varying effective dates, starting July 1, 2016.

The new regulations are based on contemporary research, best practices from other jurisdictions, public consultations, and recommendations from the Ombudsman of Ontario, Ontario’s Auditor General and Chief Coroner.

Our approach

We are modernizing child care through a multi-year plan to enhance programs and supports for children from 0-12 years of age. This approach addresses the following areas:

  • completing the rollout of full-day kindergarten by September 2014
  • modernizing the legislative and regulatory framework for child care (The Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014) including strengthening oversight of the unlicensed child care sector, increasing capacity in the licensed child care sector and improving data and information available to parents and the public
  • expanding before-and after-school care for 6-12 year olds, as well as the provision of authorized recreation programs for up to three hours per day for the same age group
  • introducing How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years to support quality early years programs and services
  • increasing transparency in funding with a new funding formula for child care
  • creating an effective approach to implementing Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres
  • enhancing program quality/consistency in child care and early years programs
  • improving delivery of children’s speech and language services

These changes will update Ontario’s child care and early years system, better support parents across the province, and ensure that our children have the best possible start in life.

This approach has been developed from numerous consultations with parents and stakeholders over the last few years.

The Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (CCEYA)

On August 31, 2015, the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (CCEYA) came into effect. This new legislation replaced the outdated Day Nurseries Act.

There are two regulations made under the CCEYA:

The Ministry of Education also amended the following regulation under the Education Act:

For more information about the rules and regulations under the CCEYA and Education Act, please visit the Ministry of Education’s website.

Additional Resources