The provincial and federal government have agreed to a child care deal which will cut child care fees in Ontario in half by the end of the year.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford both spoke on the deal earlier this morning.
The agreement will ensure child care fees will be reduced by 25 per cent next month and another 25 per cent by the end of the year.
The $13.2 million dollar plan was first announced in last year’s federal budget, with deals now in place in every province and territory across the country.
Premier Ford says with this new deal, many available options have opened up for parents in the province.
“Whether its through the $10 a day child care or a provincial child care tax credit or all day kindergarten, parents in Ontario now have access to many low cost options for child care and can tailor their choices to their own unique needs” said Ford.
The provincial-federal agreement also includes the creation of roughly 86,000 new child care spaces for children aged five and younger, and the hiring of new early childhood educators and support improved compensation for all Registered Early Childhood Educators working in licensed child care.
Ontario was holding out for more money but ultimately that deal could not be settled.
The province has however been able to secure more flexibility on where the funds will be spent.
This deal will mark to bring child care fees down to an average to $10 per day across Canada as Ontario was the last in the country to reach an agreement.