Milton Childcare Operators Opt Out of CWELCC: A Call to Protect Quality Childcare and Community Access

MILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA, November 27, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In a significant and difficult decision, over half of the licensed child care operators in Milton, Ontario, representing a range of child care models, have announced they will be opting out of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) program. This announcement marks a critical moment for the future of affordable childcare in the community and underscores the urgent need for constructive dialogue and solutions.

Many of the operators making this decision are the same caregivers and advocates who have fought tirelessly for childcare reform for decades. They were eager to sign on to CWELCC, hoping to deliver on the promise of affordable, high-quality care for families. However, recently as the realities of the program’s design and implementation have unfolded, it has become clear that continuing under CWELCC will jeopardize the quality and sustainability of their childcare programs.

Childcare operators have been working tirelessly with the Milton region to understand new requirements of the CWELCC program. However, the region has been increasingly difficult to work and communicate with as the information provided is unclear, misleading and varies from region to region throughout the province of Ontario. With December approaching and with the January effective date of the new program, childcare operators have many outstanding and unanswered questions, and continue to lack pertinent details required to continue with the program.

“This isn’t just the voice of one operator or one model of care—it is the collective voice of our community,” said Sam Hamid, Owner of Angus Valley Montessori. “As childcare operators, parents, and advocates, we hope the government will listen to what we’re saying and work with us to ensure this program supports all families. The quality of care and education being provided is crucial and integral to the growth and development of our youngest generation. It is not just about the minority who feel they have won the $10-a-day childcare lottery and secured a space, but rather about the quality and high standard of care their child is receiving. ”

Operators have highlighted key challenges with the CWELCC program, including:

Quality of Care Compromised: Funding limitations and inflexible requirements make it increasingly difficult to uphold high standards of care within the current economy.

ECE Recruitment and Retention Struggles: Wage grids and operational restrictions fail to address staffing shortages and the needs of educators, risking burnout, turnover and lack of qualified staff.

Program Sustainability: Rising administrative and financial pressures threaten the viability of many programs, forcing difficult decisions to be made to maintain integrity.

“We don’t want to lose critical access to affordable childcare and subsidies for families in our community,” added Hamid. “We believe in the vision of this program, and we want to ensure it succeeds—for all families, while maintaining quality and high standards.”

Milton's childcare operators are not looking to blame but they are seeking meaningful collaboration. Operators in Milton are calling for all levels of government to engage with them, to understand the realities on the ground, and to work together on solutions that ensure affordable childcare is not only accessible but also sustainable and of the highest quality.

"While we do not fault our school for making the very difficult decision to opt out of the program to ensure its own sustainability, it is disappointing that such changes from the government could not have been deferred until the start of the following school year, instead of its effective date of January 1st, said Angus Valley Montessori Parent, Samir Patel. Doing so certainly would have afforded more time for parents to consider their options, and would have imposed the least disruption on the children if a withdrawal had to be contemplated."

The Milton childcare community remains committed to advocating for meaningful reform and to supporting the needs of families now and into the future. The decision to opt out of CWELCC is a call for constructive dialogue and action, not an abandonment of the promise of affordable childcare.

About AACE National:

The AACE National Committee on Childcare Reform is leading the effort to shift from federally-controlled funding to no-strings-attached envelope provincial funding, empowering provinces to create childcare solutions that ensure affordability, accessibility, quality and parent choice. AACE National encompasses thousands of childcare operators from across Canada who have come together to raise awareness about the devastating impact that the Canada Wide Early Learning and Childcare Agreement (CWELCC) is having on the childcare industry, on childcare quality and parental choice.

For more information about AACE National, issues related to the rollout of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Childcare Agreement, visit www.aacenational.ca

Deepa Mansharamani, Ontario Chapter Lead
A Canadian Coalition of Childcare Operators
+1 613-217-9202
email us here
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