An extension has been reached regarding the federal childcare program for Ontario.
It allows current fees to remain in effect until the next year.
The current agreement was to expire at the end of next March.
In a letter distributed to parents, and obtained by Acadia News, Education Minister Paul Calandra (CAH-lann-drah) states that the extension allows for more time to work out a long-term deal.
“While this one-year extension does not address all the funding pressures the federal government’s child care program faces here in Ontario, it gives us the opportunity to continue discussions with the federal government toward a long-term deal that ensures the program’s long-term sustainability.
Ontario has been lobbying for more funding, saying it is necessary to reach the federal target of fees being $10 a day.
Childcare fees now average $19 a day, though some centres in the province are charging the maximum $22 a day.
