Umbrella Family and Child Centres of Hamilton will be participating in the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) System. The Federal government committed to investing in a national child care system with all provinces and territories, as well as Indigenous organizations.

Funding under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement (CWELCC) system will be used to build and leverage the success of Ontario’s existing early learning and child care system by increasing quality, accessibility, affordability and inclusivity in early learning and child care.

As a first step, all Ontario families with children under the age of 6 participating in licensed child care programs will see a fee reduction of up to 25% (to a minimum of $12 per day), retroactive to April 1, 2022.

Parents do not have to apply to receive a child care fee reduction, it will be done by Umbrella Family in partnership with the City of Hamilton. Additional information continues to be shared with families as it become available.

You may be eligible for reduced fees if:

• you pay more than $12.00 per day for child care and your child is:
  • under 6 years of age, or
  • turns six years old between January 1 and June 30 in any calendar year, and is enrolled in a licensed preschool, kindergarten or family age group or a licensed home child care premises.

The amount of savings depends on the current fees charged. It will require some time for the Umbrella Family to enroll in the new system.

The fee reduction will be retroactive to April 1, 2022. This means that parents will be eligible to receive a refund for the higher fees that were paid once enrollment in CWELCC is complete. The new fee schedule can be found on our website.