Ontario is looking to modernize the child care sector to ensure it remains strong and will help families experience a seamless transition to full-day kindergarten (FDK). By September 2014, all four- and five-year-olds in the province will have access to full-day kindergarten, saving families up to $6,500 per child per year on child care costs. In 2012-13, the government is investing an additional $90 million to modernize the existing child care sector. This investment will bring the government’s commitment to child care funding to more than $1 billion, an increase of 90 per cent since 2003-04.

The province has released a discussion paper, Modernizing Child Care in Ontario, to begin a conversation that will help move Ontario towards a high quality, accessible and coordinated early learning and care system for all children. The paper was developed to encourage feedback from child care providers and support networks, as well as families, in order to help guide the modernization of the child care sector so it works effectively with FDK, once its fully implemented in 2014-15.

The discussion paper has been posted to the online Regulatory Registry and is now open for a 90-day comment period. I would strongly encourage anyone interested in how Ontario will modernize and improve its child care sector to read the paper and send in their comments. Please visit the Regulatory Registry to read and comment on the discussion paper. Feedback will be accepted until Sept. 24.

Modernizing child care is part of the McGuinty government's plan to create a more integrated early learning and child care system to ensure children get the best possible start.

To learn more about child care in Ontario, please visit www.ontario.ca/education-news or contact me at my Community Office at 613-722-6414.

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