Apply to the early learning and child care program
Licensed child care providers can apply for Peel Region’s Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care program.
The Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) agreement supports a high-quality, affordable, easily accessible, and inclusive licensed child care system.
As the demand for child care is expected to increase, Peel Region is continuously working to increase access to licensed child care for families in our community. Our goal is to create 11,980 new child care spaces by the end of 2026.
The Ministry of Education has directed Peel Region to maintain its current child care system for children 5 years and younger. This is to make sure that 60% of spaces are not-for-profit spaces and the remaining 40% are for-profit spaces.
This means Peel Region must create at least 7,170 not-for-profit child care spaces as part of our CWELCC expansion plan. Our for-profit providers can operate in the remaining 4,810 spaces.
After our first application window closed on August 31, 2023, our data shows that we need to prioritize the not-for-profit expansion to meet the Ministry’s requirements. This is why, beginning November 30, 2023, we will only be accepting applications from not-for-profit providers and licensed home child care agencies and pause applications from for-profit providers.
If you're planning to create new licensed child care spaces in Peel for infant, toddler, or preschool age groups, and are interested in applying to Peel’s CWELCC program, review our CWELCC multi-year expansion plan.
Review the application process to understand your eligibility and how to apply to CWELCC.
Eligibility
You are eligible to apply to participate in CWELCC expansion if your project will be in operation by December 31, 2026, and meet these requirements:
Centre-based child care providers:
- Currently taking part in Peel's CWELCC program and planning to increase spaces through a licence revision.
- Currently taking part in Peel's CWELCC program and planning to open a new child care site in Peel.
- A new provider in Peel and would like to open a new child care site in Peel.
- Opted-out of CWELCC in 2022 and did not apply through the 2023 expression of interest process released on May 17, 2023.
Home child care agencies:
- Would like to open a new licensed home child care agency with a head office in Peel.
On September 7, the Ministry of Education announced a new approach to license home child care. This is to change the way approved homes are listed on the agency’s license.
The Ministry’s direction also includes the number of homes an agency may oversee in a specific service system area on their license. As a part of the CWELCC expansion, agencies will need to apply for new homes through the Child Care Licensing System (CCLS) online
The Ministry indicated that more information will be shared in their 2024 provincial guidelines. When we receive this information, we will update our resources to reflect any change in the application process and work with our licensed home child care partners to support the recruitment of new homes in priority communities.
Home child care agencies that have a head office in Peel region and are currently participating in our CWELCC program
We are working with you to understand your expansion plans to open new homes in Peel. We are also reviewing the recently collected data and will communicate the next steps.
Home child care agencies that have a head office outside of Peel region and are currently participating in CWELCC
We would like to understand your expansion plans to open new homes in Peel. Email us if you are planning to open new homes in Peel in 2024.
Review Peel Region's CWELCC expansion plan to learn more about your eligibility.
Before applying
Before you apply for the CWELCC program, we encourage you to do thorough research to understand areas where there is need for child care in Peel and develop a business plan for how you will be viable.
You must receive Peel Region’s approval to enroll in CWELCC before proceeding with municipal zoning, site plan approval, or entering into a lease agreement.
Our immediate goal is to create new child care spaces in priority communities so that families can have access to affordable child care.
We have updated the targets for such priority communities based on our expansion to date. This will result in focusing more on the communities that need expansion and pause work in areas that have already met the desired targets.
To identify the priority communities open for expansion:
- Refer to the CWELCC expansion map for priority communities.
- Use the EYCC Mapping tool - From the legend on the left-hand side, click on “CWELCC Expansion”. Hover over the priority communities to see which communities have achieved their space targets (and expansion is paused) and which communities have spaces available (focus for expansion). This tool will be updated regularly so you will know where there is still a need for child care spaces.
If you’re interested in participating in the CWELCC program, complete the CWELCC expansion application form.
How to submit the application
Starting November 30, 2023, we are accepting CWELCC expansion application forms.
Email us your completed application. We will be reviewing applications on an ongoing basis. It takes us about 4 weeks to complete our evaluation and to get back to you with the results.
To submit your application, you must:
- Have a profile in the Ontario’s Child Care Licensing System (CCLS) and indicate your interest to participate in Peel’s CWELCC program.
- Email us your completed Peel CWELCC expansion application form once you have been approved through CCLS.
- Provide a postal code for your proposed project in your application form. If your location and postal code change, you need to resubmit your application.
You may use the CWELCC expansion application form to request for the Start-up Grant available in 2024. The Start-up Grant can be used to offset costs required to expand or create new licensed child care spaces for infant, toddler, and preschool age groups. This also includes buying equipment or leasehold improvements.
Contact us
If you have questions or need more information about early years and child care, email us.
For more information on Peel’s expansion plan and application process, review the questions and answers intended to support licensed child care providers.
Learn more about funding resources available to licensed providers.
Other information
We will review all applications based on the availability of funds and if they meet all provincial requirements.
When applying, you must:
- Be actively pursuing a license, or license revision to operate a child care program under Ontario’s Child Care Licensing System (CCLS); or
- Have a license under CCLS in good standing already approved by the Ministry of Education; and
- Demonstrate that the program can succeed financially.
Centre–based child care
We will evaluate your application based on Peel Region’s specific criteria for the service delivery area of your proposed project. The new spaces must:
- Be in one of Peel’s identified priority communities or within a 2-kilometre radius of a priority community; and
- Meet the demand for child care programs in that community. Programs must serve infant, toddler, preschool age groups.
Use the early learning and licensed child care map tool to find out if your location is in a priority community.
Other criteria based on Peel’s service system plan priorities include:
- How the base wages you pay to Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) or Director–approved staff (that fill the position of a RECE) 2023 GTA’s living wage of $25.05/hour.
- If the new spaces are co–located in school, faith–based building, community centre, affordable housing building, etc.
- If the new spaces improve access to child care such as offering evening care, extended hours of care above 11 hours, weekend care or flexible care options for families.
- If the new spaces improve inclusion for underrepresented groups through child care programs that target vulnerable and diverse populations such as Indigenous, Francophone, Black and other racialized groups, newcomers, and low–income families.
New home child care agencies
We encourage home child care agencies to open homes in a priority community. However, it’s not required. We will work with agencies to support the recruitment of new homes in priority communities.
We will review these applications to assess:
- How the base wages that you pay to Home Visitors (RECEs) align with the GTA’s 2023 living wage of $25.05/hour.
- If the new spaces improve access to child care such as offering evening care, extended hours of care above 9 hours, weekend care or flexible care options for families.
- If the new spaces improve inclusion for underrepresented groups through programs that target vulnerable and diverse populations such as Indigenous, Francophone, Black and other racialized groups, newcomers, and low–income families.
We have streamlined our funding agreements to build an inclusive, accessible, and affordable child care system.
As a part of our CWELCC program, approved child care providers in Peel Region will automatically enter an EYCC Funding Agreement. This agreement requires providers to:
- Accept and include children who receive child care subsidy.
- Accept and include children with special needs by actively participating in Peel Inclusion Resource Services.
- Participate in continuous quality improvement initiatives like Raising the Bar in Peel and professional learning opportunities.
Review licensing requirements
Before you apply, review the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 and Ontario Regulation 137/15.
How to start a child care program in Ontario
If you are interested in opening a child care centre or home, review these resources before you apply for a license:
- Child care licensing manual
- Home child care licensing manual
- Before and after school program licensing guideline
- Ministry of Education child care centre planning and design guidelines.
You can find more information from the Ministry on how to start a child care program.
