Item - 2017.CD17.3

The Community Development and Recreation Committee recommends to the Budget Committee that:

1.  City Council amend the Children’s Services budget to:

a.  add 340 new fee subsidies (75 approved in 2016; plus 265 new subsidies for 50 percent of new licensed spaces built through capital) at a cost of $3.4 million;

b.  maintain School Occupancy Grant funding for 2017 and request the Province, along with all school boards, to provide the funding in the future ($1.13 million);

c.  include Year 2 funding for the 5 year sustainability plan approved by Council through the budget process in 2016 ($2 million);

d.  continue to operate the Capri Child Care and request the General Manager, Children's Services to look at off-site options in the same neighbourhood to provide the same number of directly operated spaces and retain the $150,000 to operate this service at another location; and

Direct that $6.68 million additional funds be allocated from a combination of Municipal Land Transfer Tax Harmonization, Commercial Tax changes and Assessment Growth to offset the additional costs.

This report illustrates the number of additional child care fee subsidies that would be required to achieve the same ratio of subsidies to licensed spaces as in 2010, prior to the implementation of Full-Day Kindergarten.

As directed by City Council, this report is being submitted concurrently to the Budget Committee for consideration as part of the 2017 Budget Process and to the Community Development and Recreation Committee.