BRAMPTON, ON — Ontario has signed on to the federal government's daycare plan.
It means parents of children aged five and under in participating licensed child care centres will get rebates starting in May.
The rebates will cover up to 25 per cent of fees, to a maximum of $12 a day, retroactive to April 1.
Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the agreement in Brampton.
Ontario is the last province to join Ottawa's plan to bring child-care fees down to an average of $10 a day by the end of 2026.
The next step in the process will see fees cut by an average by 50 per cent next December.
According to the Ford government, Ontario was able to negotiate some improvements in what the federal government had offered, including funding for an additional year beyond the original five-year plan.
The province said it also obtained enhanced protection against funding shortfalls through a mandated financial review process in year three.
It said it will work with municipalities to enrol over 5,000 licensed child care centres and home child care agencies in the new program between now and Sept.1, 2022.
