Fall 2023 Call Out for Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Directed Growth for London-Middlesex

After the implementation of the CWELCC system in 2022, the Middlesex County in partnership with the City of London, as the Service System Manager, initiated a five-year plan aimed at expanding licensed child care services in London and Middlesex. 

The Ministry of Education with the City and the County, have jointly established a target of creating 2,889 new Licensed Child Care spaces within London and Middlesex by 2026. This target encompasses both licensed centre-based and licensed home-based child care spaces. In line with provincial directives, growth of the CWELCC system will be directed towards generating affordable child care spaces in planning districts that have demonstrable need and in programs that support vulnerable and/or underserved populations. 

The Call Out process serves as a means for individuals or organizations to outline not only the quantity and locations of their proposed new child care spaces, but also to detail their strategies for ensuring that these spaces are accessible and inclusive for various groups. These groups include low-income children, vulnerable children, children from diverse communities, children with special needs, Francophone children, Black children, and Indigenous children.

The County of Middlesex and the City of London will review submissions to evaluate how applicants intend to support accessibility and inclusion, the chosen site's demographics, and its prioritization based on key indicators. This assessment ensures alignment with the County Middlesex and City of London initial targets, data, analysis, and plans. 
 

1. Interested applicants within Middlesex contact @email, within London contact @email to express interest in opening additional CWELCC child care spaces.
2. Middlesex or London will provide parties who have expressed an interest in opening in Middlesex and/or London a Fall 2023 Call Out package via email address.  The Fall 2023 Call Out package is designed to accommodate one or more child care program/site within a submission. All packages must be complete for the submission to be reviewed by the County of Middlesex and City of London. Incomplete submissions will be returned without review.
3. The applicant submits the completed Fall 2023 Call Out package.
   1. For Middlesex County sites, applicants must submit to @email
   2. For London sites, applicants must submit to  @email    
4. The County and the City will review the applicant's submission for financial viability, misuse of funds, and alignment with the Service System Plan's directed growth strategy. The reviewer may contact applicants with any questions they have about the submission.
5. Based on the submission by the applicant, in consultation with the County, the SSM provides advice to Ministry of Education via the Child Care Licensing System under the applicant's new license request or licensing revision request. If the applicant has not submitted a licensing application via the Child Care Licensing System, the SSM will review the submission but cannot provide CWELCC advice to the Ministry of Education until an application for a license been has submitted. 
   1. Please Note: The advice provided by the SSM is based on information known at the time and does not constitute a decision or promise made for CWELCC eligibility or funding. Applicants remain responsible for working with the Ministry of Education to complete the provincial licensing requirements to obtain a license.
6. If the advice provided via the Child Care Licensing System indicates "Approve", upon receiving an updated or new license for the net new spaces, the licensee must submit updated information at the request of the County or City to verify eligibility to enter a CWELCC agreement.
7. If the licensee meets all other criteria at the time of licensing and there is available funding, the licensee will be requested to provide additional information to determine allocations and a copy of CWELCC agreement will be provided for review to the licensee.

While the County and City are supportive of licensees applying for the CWELCC Directed Growth Strategy spaces, it's important to note that we are required to maintain the ratio of not-for-profit to for-profit spaces within the Service System. As a result of this, only a limited number of these spaces can be designated for for-profit operations. Recognizing the need for child care expansion within, and beyond, the CWELCC, the Middlesex County and City of London are committed to exploring potential avenues nurturing child care growth within London-Middlesex.

The assessment will consider the following criteria when providing advice to the Ministry of Education. Advice to the Ministry does not constitute a promise to fund any licensee.

1. The applicant demonstrates through its policies and practices its commitment to access, inclusion, and diversity.
2. The applicant has implemented strategies to support a workforce that has the capacity to respond to the diverse needs of families.
3. The applicant has demonstrated understanding of the requirements of the Child Care and Early Years Act.
4. The proposal aligns with the needs of families and the community based on demographic data. 
5. The applicant is proposing to operate in communities that have highest priority.
6. The applicant has demonstrated proficiency in maintaining effective and efficient business practices, including financial viability.
7. The auspice of the applicant.

Please Note: Applicants are expected to provide clear evidence of how they meet the criteria noted above.

Any applicant who intends to create new licensed child care spaces between 2023 and 2026 in the County of Middlesex or the City of London and would like to participate in the CWELCC system.

This includes individuals and/or organizations who are:

• Non-profit or for-profit licensees, including licensed before and after school providers with CWELCC service agreements for four- and five-year old children.
• Licensees who provide child care in schools and/or centres.
• Licensed home child care agencies.
• School boards that directly deliver licensed child care and/or licensed extended day programs.
• Licensees currently in a service agreement with the County of Middlesex and or the City of London.
• Licensees not currently in a service agreement with the County of Middlesex and or the City of London.
• CWELCC-participating and non-participating licensees.
• Licensees planning a licensing revision in a site already enrolled in CWELCC.
• Individuals or organizations who are planning to operate a licensed child care centre in the County of Middlesex and or the City of London and have submitted a licensing request through the Ministry of Education.

Please Note:

• If you have not submitted a licensing application for the identified site, your submissions will be reviewed in the context of all applications.
• Child care centres expanding in schools are NOT eligible to apply for start-up grant funding.

In submitting an Information Collection Form and the associated documents, the applicant agrees that it shall accept the decision of the County of Middlesex or City of London as to whether a submission meets the requirements. The submitted Information Collection Forms and associated documents will be reviewed and evaluated by the County of Middlesex and or the City of London staff. As part of the process, licensees may be required to attend an interview with the review team. The County of Middlesex or the City London reserves the right to seek clarification and request additional information, documentation, and statements from applicants in relation to the Information Collection Form and associated documents.

Approval and funding to support the creation of new CWELCC participating licensed child care spaces or to renovate existing space in not automatic or guaranteed. The County of Middlesex and the City London reserve the right to deny any application and/or licensee that does not meet the required criteria. The County of Middlesex and the City London also reserve the right to deny any child care funding to a licensee based on eligibility criteria, funding availability and/or misalignment with service system planning.