Every day, early childhood educators (ECEs) provide Ontario’s children with safe, responsive, and caring interactions that build a strong foundation for their development and well-being.
Children who participate in high-quality learning environments experience increased verbal communication, reading, math, and science skills, as well as a host of other benefits.
Uncover the facts about the many ways ECEs benefit children, their families, and the growth of our economy.
High-quality licensed child care provides Ontario’s children with safe, responsive, and caring interactions that build a strong foundation for development and well-being.
When children are nurtured in environments where their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical health is considered, they thrive in countless ways.
90% of adult brain development occurs between birth and age five.
High-quality licensed child care helps children develop vital skills during their first five years, which marks a critical developmental period in a child’s life.
Early childhood educators (ECEs) provide children with the foundation they need to grow into future leaders. ECEs use their extensive knowledge of learning and child development to create high-quality learning opportunities through play and exploration. Educators are trained to:
Participation in high-quality learning environments, can help support children and their communities and to improve social, health, and academic outcomes.
The mandate of the Child Care and Early Years System Planning Advisory Group is to provide advice and guidance to the City of Ottawa on the planning and management of a high quality, affordable, accessible, and inclusive child care and early years system in Ottawa for all children and families. For more information, please contact childrensservices@ottawa.ca.
The Child Care Registry and Waitlist is an online, centralized application used by parents to find and register for licensed child care in Ottawa. Parents can also apply for help to pay for their child care costs (fee subsidy). It is also used by child care providers to effectively manage their waitlists for both full fee and subsidized child care. Families can access the list of providers that have opted-in to the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) System through the Child Care Registry and Waitlist Application (CCRAW).
If you are a new licensed child care service provider in Ottawa and would like to add a profile of your child care agency to the Child Care Registry and Waitlist, please email childrensservices@ottawa.ca.
To find out how to set up a licensed child care program in Ontario, prospective child care service providers can visit the Ministry of Education website.
For information about applicable laws, as well as grants and financial support available to not-for-profits, go to the Ontario government web site.
The Ministry of Education, through the City of Ottawa, provides funding for programs including individuals with special needs.
Providers are encouraged to work with Children’s Services to develop a plan to ensure eligible children who receive fee subsidy and children with special needs have access to child care programs between September 1, 2022, and January 1, 2025. For more information, email childrensservices@ottawa.ca.
Children's Inclusion Support Services provides supports, in English and in French, to licensed child care programs (nursery schools, child care centres and home child care agencies) that include children with special needs, between 6 weeks to 10 years of age, within the City of Ottawa. The services provided by CISS include:
If you have any questions about available funding programs, contact childrensservices@ottawa.ca.
