Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) System

On March 28, 2022, the Province of Ontario announced the new Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) provincial/federal agreement for Licensed Child Care Programs to provide an average of $10 per day child care fee by 2025-2026. 

The Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system will: 

• give families access to more affordable and high-quality child care options
• help lower child care fees for parents of children under the age of six
• increase child care spaces
• support the child care workforce
• support inclusive child care

Licensed child care providers can participate in the CWELCC system to help reduce fees. Licensed child care providers must inform parents about their decision to participate in the CWELCC system. If your licensed child care provider decides not to participate, your fees will not be reduced.

Unlicensed programs are not eligible to participate in the CWELCC system. This includes:

• unlicensed home child care providers
• authorized recreation programs
• school board-operated extended day programs

For more information on CWELCC, please visit: https://www.ontario.ca/page/canada-ontario-early-years-and-child-care-agreement

CWELCC Directed Growth Plan

The County of Renfrew is advancing access to high-quality, affordable early learning   and child care through its Directed Growth Plan under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system.

Directed Growth is a strategy that guides the expansion of child care spaces based on demographic need, inclusion priorities, and equitable access. It ensures new spaces are created in communities where they are needed most—especially for low-income families, children with special needs, newcomers, and Indigenous, Francophone, and racialized children.

Through this approach, the County has been allocated 688 new licensed child care spaces between 2022 and 2026. Priority neighbourhoods have been identified using data on child care gaps and vulnerability indicators, ensuring inclusive growth that reflects our communities’ needs.

Learn more about the County of Renfrew Directed Growth Plan:
Add English Directed Growth plan document link
Add French Directed Growth plan document link

CWELCC Space Expansion

The County of Renfrew has received funding from the Ontario Ministry of Education to help expand access to licensed child care in communities where it is needed most. These new spaces will be a mix of not-for-profit, for-profit, centre-based or home-based, giving families more options that suit their needs. The County of Renfrew was originally allocated 427 CWELCC spaces to create between 2022 and 2026. All spaces have been fully committed, however, as a result of a provincial recalibration exercise, the Ministry of Education has allocated an additional 261 spaces to the County of Renfrew to be created between 2025 and 2026.  

In the County of Renfrew, new child care spaces will be determined through a fair and transparent application process. This work will be completed in alignment with the County of Renfrew CWELCC Directed Growth Plan and Ontario’s Access and Inclusion Framework 2023.

This investment is an important step toward building a stronger, more accessible child care system for families in the County of Renfrew.

 Application Process

The County of Renfrew has developed a CWELCC Space Expansion Application to ensure a transparent and fair process for approving funding to expand licensed child care spaces under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system.

The purpose of the application is to identify licensed child care providers who currently operate or are planning to operate within the County of Renfrew that have an interest in creating new CWELCC-funded child care spaces between 2025 and 2026. Prioritization of spaces will be based on neighbourhoods and populations as identified within the County of Renfrew CWELCC Directed Growth Plan.

Who Can Apply:
Child care service providers interested in expanding or opening new child care spaces in the County of Renfrew.

How to Apply:
Interested providers must complete and submit the CWELCC Space Expansion Application to the County of Renfrew Children’s Services team for review. Confirmation of receipt will be sent by email.

Application Timeline:
The County will accept applications for 2025–2026 expansion projects starting on June 10, 2025. The application timeline will be open until July 15, 2025.

Instructions for Completing the Application:

1. Complete all sections of the CWELCC Space Expansion Application which is a fillable document listed below these instructions.
2. All sections of the form must be completed for the application to be considered for approval. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
3. Application will be reviewed, and all applicants will be notified in writing of the results of their application.
4. All applications will be assessed using the criteria listed below under Application Assessment.
5. If approved, funding may be available for both licensed centre-based and home child care programs. All decisions regarding funding are final.
6. Successful applicants must enter into a Purchase of Service agreement with the County of Renfrew in order to receive CWELCC and other potential funding.

Application Assessment:

All applications will be objectively assessed with the use of a five-point evaluation matrix (see below).

Click here for the CWELCC Space Expansion Application