Ontario child-care deal extended four years with nearly $12 billion
The federal funding agreement now runs to March 2031, while Ontario commits to maintain average fees of $19 a day through June 2027.
Canada and Ontario have agreed to extend their Canada-wide early learning and child-care agreement for four years, with nearly $12 billion in federal funding flowing from March 31, 2027, to March 31, 2031.
The agreement announced September 29 commits Ontario to maintain current child-care fees at an average of $19 a day until June 30, 2027. The two governments say they will use the next year to negotiate a longer-term approach to affordable fees.
Ontario’s share of a separate $5.4-billion federal envelope, announced in June for provinces and territories to help stabilize fees, remains under negotiation.
The new money is in addition to $13.8 billion allocated to Ontario under the agreement covering 2021–22 through 2026–27. Since January 1, 2025, Ontario has capped eligible fees at a maximum of $22 a day for providers enrolled in the national system, producing the $19 average cited by the governments.
Source: official release dated September 29, 2026.
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