Peel Region will receive just over $60 million in new provincial funding to expand child-care services and support licensed providers under the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) program.
According to a staff report, the Region of Peel will receive $60,035,554 from the Ontario Ministry of Education, increasing the region’s total child-care budget for 2026 to approximately $708 million. Regional officials say the funding will not result in higher property taxes.
The additional funding follows a Nov. 10 agreement between the federal and provincial governments to extend the CWELCC program through the end of 2026. The program had previously been scheduled to conclude on March 31, 2026.
The report outlines how the new funding will be allocated across five areas of child-care services. The majority — about $59 million — will go toward helping licensed child-care operators manage day-to-day operating costs. Approximately $730,000 will be directed toward hiring and retaining early childhood educators, while $48,000 will support local program management, including training and wage-related initiatives.
Funding for mental health services at EarlyON centres, totaling $234,541, has ended, the report notes.
The report also provides an update on Peel’s child-care expansion plans. All new spaces approved under the CWELCC program have received authorization, and staff are working with providers to ensure they open by the end of 2026. More than 75 projects are currently underway, representing 7,410 new licensed child-care spaces expected to be completed this year.
While construction delays, licensing requirements and municipal permitting could affect timelines, regional staff say they are collaborating with local partners to minimize potential setbacks.
By the end of 2026, Peel is expected to have 40,428 licensed child-care spaces for children from birth to six years old under the program. Based on population estimates, the report says this would serve about 31 per cent of children in that age group — below the provincial target of 37 per cent.
To meet that goal, Peel would need an estimated 8,500 additional affordable child-care spaces. Regional staff say they will continue advocating for further provincial funding to close the gap.