Omnibus Report-Back package related to the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) Agreement and updates regarding the Innovation Fund

Ministry of Education
Early Years and Child Care Division

315 Front Street West, 11th Floor
Toronto ON M5V 3A4
 

2025: EYCC02

TO:                     Consolidated Municipal Service Managers
                              District Social Services Administration Boards

FROM:             Holly Moran
                              Assistant Deputy Minister
                              Early Years and Child Care Division

DATE:               July 3, 2025

SUBJECT:     Omnibus Report-Back package related to the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) Agreement and updates regarding                                      the Innovation Fund

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSMs) and District Social Services Administration Boards (DSSABs) with:

  • information and instructions regarding a comprehensive Omnibus Report-Back (“Report-Back”) package;
  • an update on and next steps for the Innovation Fund; and
  • an invitation for CMSMs and DSSABs to connect with the ministry on auspice, as it pertains to the CWELCC system and Directed Growth Plans.

As you are aware, 2025-2026 is the final year of the current CWELCC Agreement. A key component of this Agreement involves reporting back to the federal government and Ontarians on commitments that:

  • support accountability;
  • demonstrate progress; and
  • provide evidence of outcomes achieved at the local level.

In addition, a comprehensive understanding of various CWELCC investments and initiatives currently underway is critical to inform discussions with the federal government regarding next steps for Ontario’s child care system.

In recent months, several new updates have been introduced as part of the CWELCC system. These include the release of revised space targets following the recalibration exercise, the provision of funding allocations through the Infrastructure Fund, and the recalculation of Start¬up Grant funding allocations. To ensure effective communication on progress towards implementing these measures, the ministry is sharing a one-time Report-Back package.

To support a more streamlined and manageable approach to completing the Report-Back package, the ministry is staggering the deadlines for the various required data reporting tasks.

Please refer to Appendix 1: Report-Back Package Instructions for details, including timelines. This appendix also provides an update regarding the Innovation Fund, with supplementary information about the Innovation Fund provided in Appendix 2 and Appendix 3.

Should you have general questions about the Report-Back templates or the Innovation Fund, please pose these questions via the ministry’s Early Years Support Request form.

Finally, we want to share that the ministry is aware that some CMSMs and DSSABs may have challenges and barriers to achieving their overall CWELCC auspice space creation targets. Should they have concerns about this, CMSMs and DSSABs are encouraged to reach out to the ministry at: earlyyears.branch@ontario.ca.

Thank you again for supporting the ministry in collecting valuable information that will help support discussions with the federal government and for your ongoing support and collaboration.

 

Holly Moran
Assistant Deputy Minister
Early Years and Child Care Division

cc:  Matthew DesRosiers, Director, Funding Branch
        Whitney Wilson, Director, Early Years Branch
        Karen Puhlmann, Director, Child Care Branch

 

Appendices: