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Excerpt: "EarlyON Child and Family Centres will also be permitted to reopen with in-person programming along with before- and after-school programs for school aged children which will be permitted to operate with standard ratios and maximum group size requirements. All of these programs will be subject to health and safety protocols in order to keep kids safe."

Excerpt: "Canada and Ontario agree that the long term vision, principles and objectives for early learning and child care, which are set out in the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework."

Excerpt: "Canada and Ontario agree that over the period of this Agreement, with financial support from Canada, Ontario will further build its early learning and child care system by addressing local, regional and system priorities that have an impact on families more in need by increasing the quality, accessibility, affordability, flexibility and inclusivity in early learning and child care."

Excerpt: "The government is acting based on feedback, outlined in the report, by: Supporting consistent quality programs in child care and early years settings by developing a provincial definition of "quality child care" that will provide parents and the child care sector with clear, consistent high-quality programming across the province; Creating more options for families and providers through increased choice in-home child care settings; Increasing access to before and after school programs by allowing authorized recreation programs to provide both before and after programs, rather than just one; Supporting workforce recruitment and retention; Clarifying program guidelines related to Special Needs Resourcing by working with other ministries to identify opportunities for providing health and rehabilitation services to children with medical needs in licensed child care, children's recreation programs and day camp programs; Supporting Indigenous-led and culturally relevant programming including examining current programs to promote better alignment with Indigenous history and culture; Reducing administrative burdens and addressing technical issues and gaps."

Excerpt: "The COVID-19 outbreak has further highlighted the importance of having a range of high-quality child care and early years programs, that provide rich social, emotional and early learning experiences for children while allowing families to work. The outbreak has also highlighted what we already knew about people working in the child care and early years sector: they are passionate, dedicated and child-centred, able to adapt to changing circumstances while always keeping the best interests of children and families at heart."

Excerpt: "In the year ending March 31, 2020: The number of licensed child care centres increased by almost 1% to 5,565 centres, of which more than 3,000 centres were located in publicly funded schools; The number of licensed child care spaces grew by 16,206 spaces to 462,802 spaces, representing an increase of 4%. All age groups have seen an increase in spaces: a 4% increase for infants, toddlers, Kindergarten, and school age children; a 3% increase for preschool children; and an increase from 418 to 692 spaces for the “family age group”; A total of 131 home child care agencies were in operation, with 8,296 approved homes affiliated with these agencies; More than 2,000 individuals were approved to receive grants to support them in obtaining an early childhood education diploma."

Excerpt: "The Ontario government is investing $550 million to build 20 new schools and eight permanent school additions across the province in 2020-21. These new projects will create nearly 16,000 new student learning spaces and 870 new licensed child care spaces as part of the government's ongoing efforts to improve and build modern schools."

Excerpt: "The Ontario government is providing $24.3 million in targeted investments to hire additional staff, increase access to counselling and therapy, create new programs to help manage stress, depression and anxiety, and address eating disorders and other challenges facing children and youth. This funding is part of the government's $176 million investment in the Roadmap to Wellness, a comprehensive plan to build a fully connected mental health and addictions system across the province."

Excerpt: "The government is making substantial investments of $13 billion in capital grants over 10 years to build new schools and renew existing schools across Ontario, to ensure that students have safe and modern education environments in which to learn and thrive. COVID-19 has underscored the importance of this commitment."

Excerpt: "Ontario is investing $150,000 to create two new positions at the provincial advocacy group l'Association francophone à l'éducation des services à l'enfance de l'Ontario (AFÉSEO). These positions will promote the recruitment, retention and professional development of French-language early childhood educator staff while supporting the provision of high-quality French-language services in child care and early years programs."

Excerpt: "Since the 2020 Budget, Ontario's Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover, significant additional investments have been made as part of the Ontario government's urgent COVID-19 response, including: (…) $235 million in additional supports to protect children and staff in child care and early years settings."

Excerpt: "Based on public and sector feedback, the ministry has identified six action areas to improve the child care and early years system. The action areas include immediate commitments, such as consulting on proposed regulatory amendments through the Ontario Regulatory Registry, and longer-term commitments to continue to enhance the system by providing more choice and affordability for children and families, reducing red tape and administrative burden, and improving quality."