Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement (CWELCC)

The City of Cornwall is designated as the child care and early years service system manager responsible for planning and managing licensed child care services and EarlyON Child and Family Centres in both Cornwall and Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (SD&G)

The Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement (CWELCC) aims at making child care more affordable for families.

The Ministry of Education has provided guidelines to the City of Cornwall on how to administer the CWELCC program.

If you are unsure if your child care provider is licensed or intends to apply to participate in the program, please contact your provider directly.

As a parent or guardian of a child under the age of 6, you do not need to apply to get a fee reduction through CWELCC.

To ensure child care is more affordable for families, we are lowering average fees for CWELCC-enrolled licensed child care programs through a phased approach:

  1. As of April 1, 2022, we reduced fees by up to 25%.
  2. As of December 31, 2022, we further reduced fees by up to another 37%, bringing the provincial average fee to $23 per day (50% of 2020 fees).
  3. As of January 1, 2025, we capped the reduced fees at $22 per day, bringing the provincial average to $19 per day.
  4. By March 2026, we will lower fees to an average of $10 per day.
Child Care Agencies Enrolled in CWELCC

To view the licensed child care agencies that have enrolled in the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care System (CWELCC) in Cornwall, Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry, please check out our map. https://www.cornwall.ca/en/live-here/licensed-child-care-centres.aspx

What it means if your Child Care Operator did not enroll in CWELCC?

If your Child Care Operator has not enrolled in the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care System (CWELCC), this means that your Operator is not required to reduce your parent fees to the provincial average of $10.00 a day.

In the event that your Child Care Operator has not applied for enrollment in the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) System, per O. Reg. 137/15 s. 77.2 (3), parents/guardians are permitted to withdraw their child from the child care centre or home child care without penalty, should they choose to do so, as long as the following two (2) conditions are met:

  1. The Parent/Guardian must give your Operator 30 days’ notice of the withdrawal; and
  2. The Parent/Guardian must give notice within 30 days after being notified in writing that your Operator will not be applying for enrollment in the CWELCC System.

Ensuring that all families have access to affordable licensed child care is a priority to the City of Cornwall. Families accessing licensed child care at an agency that opts out of the CWELCC System are encouraged to contact the City for assistance in finding alternate child care at an agency that has opted-in to the CWELCC System. For more information or help, please contact our office at 613-933-6282 x 3315 or email us.

I Need Help With My Child Care Costs

Families who live in Cornwall or SDG who need help with the cost of licensed child care for their children up to 12 years old, can apply for Child Care Fee Subsidy. For more information about eligibility and to apply, please visit our Child Care Fee Subsidy page.

For more information or help, please contact our office at 613-933-6282 or email us.

I need help with my Child Care Costs

Families who are accessing care in Cornwall or SD&G who need help with the cost of licensed Child Care for their children up to 12 years old, can apply for Child Care Fee Subsidy. For more information about eligibility and to apply, please visit our Child Care Fee Subsidy page. 

For more information or help, please contact our office at 613-933-6282 or email us. 
Guidelines and Application Forms

 

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