More than 1,700 child care spaces are on the way to Guelph and Wellington County.
Ontario announced a $213-million grant program Monday as part of its targeted plan to create 71,000 new spaces by the end of 2026. Of that, 53,000 are yet to be created.
In the County of Wellington, 1,721 spaces have been allocated.
The province said the allocation was based on a model factoring in demographics, socio-economic indicators, and existing child care capacity.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the one-time grants will be used by new and existing operators to offset the costs of expanding spaces, or creating new ones.
The spaces are expected to include a mix of for-profit and not-for-profit spaces, and is part of the agreement with the federal government in March to create a $10-a-day child care system.
In Wellington County, 37 of the 47 local operators – or 79 per cent – confirmed their intent to opt into the program by the Nov. 1 deadline.
