Deadline: 03/17/23 - Deadline for current agencies; new agencies created and operating in 2023 have a due date of 12/31/23
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Grant Description
Grants to Ontario child care providers in eligible locations to enhance salaries and address wage gaps. New applicants must contact the funding source in order to receive an application. Funding is intended to financially assist licensed providers of home-based child care. The goal of the program is to retain the best possible childcare professionals and help to close the wage gap between registered Early Childhood Educators working in schools and those working in licensed childcare programs. Eligible applicants work and operate in the City of Toronto.
The Provincial Wage Enhancement (PWE) and Home Child Care Enhancement Grant (HCCEG) has the following goals:
Close the wage gap between RECE wages in the education sector and licensed child care sectors;
Stabilize licensed child care operators by helping them retain RECEs/child care staff; and
Support greater employment and income security.
These goals support the Ministry's priorities to:
Stabilize and transform the existing child care system to increase program choice and reliability for parents and support consistent, higher-quality child care services to support children's learning and development; and
Support licensed home child care agencies and strengthen the licensed home child care system.
The eligibility for the 2023 Provincial Wage Enhancement/Home Child Care Enhancement Grant (PWE/HCCEG) is based on three levels of assessment:
- Agency Eligibility
- Home Child Care Visitor Eligibility
- Home Child Care Provider Eligibility
Agency Eligibility:
- Must be a home child care agency in the City of Toronto that provides licensed home child care services
- Must have eligible home child care visitor and home child care provider positions.
Home Child Care Visitor Eligibility:
- Must be employed by a licensed home child care agency that has applied and met requirements for the grant on behalf of their home visitor
- Position must have existed in a licensed home child care agency between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022* and continue to exist in 2023
- For full eligibility, must occupy a position that had an associated hourly wage including all existing base funding (excluding 2022 PWE & 2022 CWELCC-Wage Floor Funding) of less than or equal to $26.59 per hour on December 31, 2022
- For partial eligibility, the hourly wage must be between $26.60 and $28.58, including all existing base funding (excluding 2022 PWE & 2022 CWELCC-Wage Floor Funding)
- Must include all eligible home visitors in the application
* Not applicable for an agency that opened in 2023
Home Child Care Provider Eligibility:
- Must have a contract with a licensed agency that has applied for and has been approved for funding
- Provide services to one child or more (including privately placed children; excluding providers own children);
- Must have received $265.90 or less per day in fees for full time providers and $161.54 or less for part time providers on December 31, 2022
A provider who is contracted to provide licensed home child care services with more than one home child care agency may only be funded their eligible amount from one agency. Home child care agencies must determine which agency will apply for and distribute funding to shared providers.
Ineligible
Administration staff and home child care supervisors/directors are ineligible unless the position requires staff to spend 25% of their time in a home visitor position which is approved on the license. In this case, the position would be eligible for a portion of the PWE.
PWE funding cannot be used to meet minimum wage requirements. General Operating Funding, Pay Equity and One-Time Stability Grant are not part of the Provincial Wage Enhancement Grant.
For new licensed home child care agencies created and operating in 2023 that would like to apply, please contact the Funding Source for an application and assistance in completing your application. Final due date for new agencies is December 31, 2023.
Applications must be submitted online.
Estimated Size of Grant
For determination of funding, see Page 8 of the Guidelines in Supporting Documents, below.
Term of Contract
- The Agency shall pay the funds in addition to the staff's regular wage rate and all wage grants otherwise paid for the period of January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023.
- Within 60 calendar days after the payment is received, the Agency must pay home visitors and home child care providers according to their PWE/HCCEG distribution plan in compliance with the current guidelines.
Contact Information
Your completed and signed application, the signed Terms and Conditions and any other required documentation can mailed to:
Attention: Faye Jose, Director
Provincial Wage Enhancement Applications
Toronto Children’s Services, 10th floor Metro Hall
55 John St
Toronto ON M5V 3C6
