Child Care Directed Growth Guidelines and Plan
Purpose:
Ontario’s vision for the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system is that more families in Ontario have access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and childcare no matter where they live.
In line with Ontario’s vision for childcare and the early years, and consultation with community partners and local planning networks, the Children Services section has identified three priorities in Greater Sudbury for childcare and early years programs. The priorities are as follows:
- Equitable access to services;
- System coordination;
- Focus on services for children with special needs.
Ministry of Education (MEDU) identifies the criteria for priority neighbourhoods as follows:
- Low-income families;
- Children with disabilities and children needing enhances or individual supports;
- Francophone;
- Indigenous children;
- Black children;
- Other racialized children;
- New immigrants
Planning
To determine planning for the CWELCC directed growth, priority neighbourhoods have been identified by reviewing the following data:
- Early Development Instrument (EDI), Cycle 5 2017-2018/Cycle 6 2022-2023 (future data)
- Statistics Canada, Census 2016 & Census 2021
- Special Needs Resourcing (SNR) Referrals
- City of Greater Sudbury Child Care Mapping (Child Care, Schools, EarlyON Child and Family Centers)
- City of Greater Sudbury Child Care Waitlist, Placement and Subsidy and EarlyON Report
Children Services is also currently engaged in several planning processes which continue to help identify priorities and future community needs, including the provincial Knowing Our Numbers project and a local system review.
This system review will provide Children's Services with key recommendations for service integration aligning to the priorities of the Access and Inclusion Framework. It will focus on the provision of services for children and families with special needs and vulnerabilities in early childhood development as well quality consultation services.
The review will also include consultation with members of local stakeholder groups across the sector, such as school boards, specialized services with Health Sciences North (HSN), mental health leads, and licensed childcare service providers to inform them of the recommendations for the final report and workplan. Focus groups will also be scheduled with frontline staff across the early learning and childcare sector as well as with parents and caregivers. The external consultant will conduct the targeted consultations to promote full transparency and confidentiality while ensuring the recommendations in the final report are representative of key priorities.
Identified needs:
Long waiting lists for childcare in most neighbourhoods has already been identified, particularly for infant and toddler spaces, with the longest lists in the South End, New Sudbury, Minnow Lake and Downtown/Flour Mill/Donovan neighbourhoods.
Lower-income families in Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) housing have transportation barriers to access childcare. More childcare centres in walking distance to social housing communities would assist with this.
There is a lack of population base in more remote parts of Greater Sudbury to offer full centres – there is a need for home-based and family grouping care.
Local challenges include a lack of qualified staff, especially in francophone centres.
Priorities
Priorities have been identified through the planning phase to determine expansion spaces/areas of need based on neighbourhood catchments. The priority neighbourhoods are identified as New Sudbury and Minnow Lake, Downtown/Flour Mill/Donovan and South End, as well as Valley East communities.
Process
The City of Greater Sudbury will undertake an ongoing Expression of Interest (EOI) process to select operators for new centres or expansion of a current childcare location. Priority will be given to childcare operators who operate centres within Greater Sudbury in the priority neighbourhoods, who currently hold a Funding Agreement with Children Services and who have demonstrated capacity to expand their current operations.
Application Process:
- Step 1: If applicable, submission of license application/revision through the Child Care Licensing System (CCLS)
- Step 2: Expression of Interest Child Care Application: Service System Manager (SSM) approves (move to Step 3) or denies or on standby;
- Step 3: Applications reviewed and scored; additional information may be required;
- Step 4: Successful proponents are notified, and the service agreement is amended or entered into a new agreement.
Note: If multiple applications for the neighbourhood are received, a request for proposal (RFP) may be required.
Start-up Grants Application - Childcare operators enrolled in the CWELCC system are eligible to apply for Start-up Grants. The Start-up Grants support the creation of new licensed full-day spaces for children under age six in targeted regions, for underserved communities and populations. The Start-Up Grant application form for the next round of expansion will be posted at a later date.
Additional Information:
Application Submission and Inquiries: