We are pleased to release the report, titled “Willing But Not Able: Expansion Issues Across Multi-Site Child Care Operators In Ontario“, which presents the initial findings from the 52 multi-site child care operators that B2C2 surveyed. We are currently in the process of compiling a separate report for the single-site centres.
The primary goals of our multi-site survey were threefold:
- assess actual expansion since the implementation of the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care agreement with Ontario,
- the intentions for future expansion, and
- the barriers/supports affecting growth. Below are the key recommendations based on the responses.
While multi-site child care operators are ready and willing to expand, efforts are being hindered by systemic barriers related to funding and workforce challenges. The success of expansion plans depends on the provincial and the federal government doing the following:
- Investing in the workforce through competitive wages, benefits, and long-term retention strategies for all early childhood educators.
- Providing capital grants, loan guarantees, and access to municipal or school board space to lower the barriers to building or retrofitting facilities.
- Guaranteeing future operational funding that fully covers the costs of expansion and ongoing delivery.
