The Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) has approved a fee of $29.00 per day, per child, for the Extended Day Program (EDP) for the 2022-23 school year.
The means that families will experience an increase of $1.50, or 5.45 per cent, over the fee charged in the 2021-22 school year.
The new rate reflects increased salaries and other costs.
Administrative and special education support costs also have impacted the increase for the 2022-23 school year.
Families can purchase extended day program services in one of three ways: before school only, after school only, or both. They can also choose the number of days per week they wish to enrol their child.
The Full-Day Early Learning Statute Law Amendment Act was passed into legislation in 2010, mandating that EDP be offered by district school boards to all JK/SK children attending school in a full-day kindergarten school.
In the same year, the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) began operating before and after school programs in four schools for 64 children. Since then, the program has expanded to 70 schools and now offers care to over 2,860 children. This is in addition to the 23 programs offered by our community partners in schools with purpose-built childcare centres.
This year, on March 28, the Ontario and Federal governments announced the signing of a Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) agreement. The intent of the agreement is that Ontario families with children five years old and younger, participating in licensed childcare programs, will see their childcare fees reduced to $10 per day by September 2025.
At present, extended day programs offered by district school boards are not eligible for the CWELCC because these programs are not licensed under the Ministry of Education. WRDSB staff, in cooperation with partners at the Region of Waterloo and the Ministry of Education, are working towards obtaining licensing for programs.
If these efforts are successful, children four and five-years-old, participating in EDP, will be eligible for reduced rates under the terms of the CWELCC agreement for 2022-23.
The Extended Day Program will continue to be offered on most non-instructional days including PD days, winter break and March break.
The approved rate will be posted on the WRDSB website and will be reflected in communication material provided to families.
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