Statement: YWCA Toronto Celebrates Federal Childcare Investment
June, 2026
YWCA Toronto celebrates the recent announcement from the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, on new federal funding for the Canada-wide early learning and childcare (CWELCC) agreements.
Not only does this announcement bring $5.4 billion in additional funding to CWELCC for 2026-2028, it also demonstrates the federal government's acknowledgement of childcare as essential infrastructure, as well as their commitment to a future where every family across Canada has access to affordable childcare.
Childcare is a feminist issue that is central to a strong and thriving society. Policies and programs relating to childcare have disproportionate influence and impact on the lives of women and gender diverse people. Access to childcare is proven to support women and gender diverse parents to access employment and education, which in turn supports them in developing and maintaining financial stability. For women and gender diverse people, affordable childcare is also a critical support that promotes housing stability, prevents homelessness, and removes a significant financial barrier to leaving a violent home. These issues disproportionately impact Indigenous, Black, and racialized individuals, newcomers and those with precarious status, people experiencing precarious employment or unemployment, and people living with disabilities, all of whom face intersecting systemic barriers to safety and economic independence. Building an early learning and childcare system grounded in the proven benefits of universal access is essential to advancing gender equity and eliminating gender-based violence in Canada.
This renewed federal funding commitment is a profound win for community organizations, advocates, and caregivers who have been advocating for a strong and sustainable childcare system across Canada. While we celebrate this important progress, YWCA Toronto continues to call on all levels of government to implement long-term, sustained funding and collaboration to ensure childcare is accessible, affordable, and reliable for every family in Canada.
As a member of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care (OCBCC), YWCA Toronto supports OCBCC in calling on the provincial and federal governments to use this new investment to:
- Sign a Strong 5-Year Agreement to End Funding Uncertainty: Ontario should recognize the economic benefits of childcare to the province and increase their own investment to make an ambitious agreement a reality.
- End the Freeze on Fee Reductions: Resume the path to a $10aDay maximum fee for all families without delay.
- Implement a Provincial Wage Grid: Fund a salary scale starting at $35-45 per hour for Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) and $28 per hour for early years staff to solve the recruitment and retention crisis.
- Prioritize Public and Non-Profit Expansion: Ensure expansion dollars are used to build a stable public good rather than being diverted to for-profit interests or private equity.
YWCA Toronto also calls for:
- All levels of government to ensure childcare across the country meets the needs of all families, including Indigenous families, families living in childcare deserts in rural and urban communities, parents and families with temporary or precarious immigration status, and families with children living with disabilities;
- The federal government to ensure regularization and pathways to permanent immigration status for all childcare sector workers, many of whom are racialized women; and,
- The Ontario government to prioritize the remediation of the ongoing effects of Bill 124, and to make significant investments to stabilize the Ontario care and nonprofit sectors in recognition of their role in the provision of essential services.
MEDIA
Sami Pritchard, Director of Advocacy and Communications, YWCA Toronto
437.286.9627 | spritchard@ywcatoronto.org