Item - 2016.CD15.1

The Community Development and Recreation Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council establish an Agency Operating Grant as described in the report (October 5, 2016) from the General Manager, Children's Services as the new funding model to support eligible licensed home child care agencies, replacing the existing "Daily Administrative Rate" model, streamlining the funding processes and improving agency stability.

2.  City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to undertake any necessary amendments to the City-wide Zoning By-law 560-2013 to align the by-law with the new Child Care and Early Year's Act and its regulations.

The Community Development and Recreation Committee:

1.  Requested the General Manager, Children's Services to report to the Community Development and Recreation Committee before January 1, 2018 on a framework or set of regulations and guidelines for Home Child Care providers who want to increase the number of children to six.

This report seeks approval of a new streamlined model for funding licensed home child care agencies in the City of Toronto. The new model will replace the existing funding model with the nine licensed home child care agencies from which Children's Services currently purchases service. The proposed model is in response to Children's Services' review of Home Child Care and aligns with  the 2012 provincial Child Care Funding Framework that provides the flexibility to simplify the way in which Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSMs) and District Social Services Administration Boards (DSSABs) fund child care locally.  Children's Services is the CMSM for early learning and child care in Toronto.

The proposed Agency Operating Grant (AOG) model recommended in this report is consistent with directions included in the Council-approved Children’s Services 2015-2019 Service Plan, and with many corporate initiatives, including the Poverty Reduction Strategy, supporting quality jobs and the on-going direction to find administrative efficiencies and provide responsive customer service.

The recommended model builds on the Council-approved centre-based child care funding model principles and the findings from extensive sector engagement. Feedback on the model was provided by a Home Child Care Review Advisory Committee, the Toronto Home Child Care Association and sector stakeholders. 

This report also requests that the City-wide by-law 569-2013 be revised to align the by-law with the new Child Care and Early Year's Act and its regulations.

No changes are proposed to the City's existing child care fee subsidy system.