Wage Enhancement Grant and CWELCC Workforce Compensation Funding

This application is for centre based staff and home visitors only. Home child care providers will receive a separate application form and instructions by email. If you are a home child care provider and have not received the application package, contact childrensservices@ottawa.ca.

Review application guidelines and requirements

Before you begin, review all of the application requirements listed in 2024 Provincial Wage Enhancement Grant Guidelines in the What you Need section.

Complete application

You will need to complete one application for each site or location.

You can't save and return to the application form.  There is no time limit to complete the application.

Wage Enhancement Grant  

All licensed child care centres and home child care agencies are eligible to apply for 2024 WEG funding.

Full Wage Enhancement Grant

Eligibility 

To receive full WEG funding staff must: 

• Work in a licensed child care centre or agency 
• Earn less than $28.59 per hour. The 2024 wage cap is $30.59 per hour.   
• Be a child care supervisor or similar, RECE, home child care visitor, or a position otherwise counted toward adult to child ratios under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (CCEYA)

Partial Wage Enhancement Grant

Eligibility

To receive partial WEG funding staff must:

• Earn less than the 2024 wage cap of $30.59 per hour
• Be a child care supervisor or similar, RECE, home child care visitor, or a position otherwise counted toward adult to child ratios under the CCEYA
• Or be in a position where higher employee-child ratios are required under the CCEYA

Partial WEG payments will increase the wage of the eligible position (as listed above) between $28.60 and $30.59 per hour, without exceeding the cap of $30.59. For example, if a RECE position has a base wage rate, excluding the previous year’s wage enhancement of $29.18 per hour, the position would be eligible for wage increase of $1.41 per hour.

Excluded positions

The following positions are not eligible to receive WEG:

• Non-program staff (including cook, custodian etc.)*
• Special Needs Resourcing funded (SNR) resource teachers/consultants and supplemental staff*
• Staff hired through a third party like a temporary agency

*If the non-program staff as mentioned above, spends at least 25 per cent of the time supporting ratio requirements under the CCEYA, they may be eligible for WEG, as an exception.

For more information on staff eligibility, refer to the Ontario Child Care and EarlyON Child and Family Centres Service Management and Funding Guideline 2024

CWELCC Workforce Compensation funding (WFC)

Licensed child care centres or agencies participating in the Canadian-Wide Early Learning Child Care (CWELCC) system are eligible to apply for Workforce Compensation Funding (WFC).  For more information about WFC and how WEG and the WFC work together, refer to the 2024 Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Guidelines.

Annual increase and wage floor

Eligibility

Positions eligible for annual increase and wage floor funding include:

• RECE Program Staff
• RECE Child Care Supervisors 
• RECE Home Child Care Visitors 

Excluded positions

Positions not eligible for WFC include:

• Non-RECE program staff
• Non-program staff (including cook, custodian, etc.)
• SNR-funded resource teacher/consultants or supplemental staff; and
• Staff hired through a third party. A temporary agency is considered a third party.

Staff in positions listed above are eligible for annual wage and wage floor increases if they spend at least 25 per cent of the time supporting ratio requirements under the O. Reg. 137/15.

Minimum wage offset

The minimum wage offset helps providers with the gradual cost pressures from provincial wage increases for eligible non-RECEs.

Eligibility

Positions eligible for the minimum wage offset include:

• Non-RECE program staff
• Non-RECE child care supervisor
• Non-RECE home child care visitor

This funding can be used to:

• Offset the minimum wage increase from October 1, 2022 ($15.50 per hour) to October 1, 2023 ($16.55 per hour). This does not include WEG funding.
• Cover mandatory benefit costs related to the increase in minimum wage (up to 17.5 per cent)

Excluded positions

Positions not eligible for the minimum wage offset include: 

• Non-program staff (including cook, custodian, etc.)
• SNR-funded resource teacher/consultants or supplemental staff; and
• Staff hired through a third party like a temporary agency

Non-RECE staff and non-program staff without a RECE designation who spend at least 25 per cent of their time supporting ratios under the CCEYA only qualify for hours worked supporting ratio requirements under O. Reg. 137/15.

For more information on staff eligibility, refer to the 2024 Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Guidelines.

To complete your application, the following information is required:

1. Child care centre information

• Head office name
• Child care centre name
• License number

2. Contact Information

• First and last name for individual completing the application
• Position
• Phone number
• Email

3. Child care centre operating information

• Number of weeks child care centre is estimated to be open in 2024
• Number of hours child care centre is open per week

4. Service Data

• Number of ineligible staff (whereby their base hourly rate exceeds $30.59/hour) in the following categories:
  • RECE
  • Non-RECE
  • Supervisor
  • Home visitors

5. Employee information (for each eligible position)

• Staff first name and initial
• Category of staff: 
  • RECE Program Staff
  • RECE Supervisor
  • RECE Home Visitor
  • Non-RECE Program Staff
  • Non-RECE Supervisor
  • Non-RECE Home Visitor
  • Other (including description)
• Base hourly wage as of September 30, 2022 (excluding prior year wage enhancement)
  • if hired after September 30, 2022 enter 0.00
• Base hourly wage as of September 30, 2023 (excluding prior year wage enhancement)
  • if hired after September 30, 2023 enter 0.00
• Base hourly wage as of January 1, 2024 (excluding prior year wage enhancement)
  • if hired after January 1, 2024 enter base hourly wage on hire date
• Number of hours in eligible position in 2024

6. Attestation

A signed declaration by a staff person with signing authority for your centre or agency

Complete your Application for 2024 Child Care Wage Enhancement Grant. One application for each site or location is required.

Employee information

1. To apply for each eligible position, enter the information for the staff person in that position.
2. Select “Add another row” to add more positions.
3. To ensure providers have enough funding for staff, make sure the maximum hours for each position are included.

When we receive your application, we review it to make sure it is complete.  We may contact you to get more information.

Once the application is accepted, you will receive a contribution agreement or an adjustment letter to confirm the funding amount.

For more information, email: childrensservices@ottawa.ca