County of Wellington council approved a two percent increase in user fees for child care services at Thursday’s meeting.
Coun. David Anderson, chair of the social services committee, presented the report wherein the committee agreed to increase user fees at all directly operated childcare centres to two per cent.
The current 2021 daily rates for infants in a full day, five days a week program is $60.10, which has increased to $61.30 for 2022; and a full day with more than five days a week program is $71.95, which has now gone up to $73.40 for 2022.
For toddlers, the current 2021 daily rates for a full day five days a week program is $48.60, which has now gone up to $49.55; and for more than five days, the 2021 rate is $53.20 which has now increased to $54.25.
Preschoolers currently have a daily rate of $42.70 for a five day a week full day program, and a $47.10 rate for more than five days a week. For 2022, these rates have increased to $43.55 for the five day program and $48.05 for more than five days.
The committee considered the predicted cost of living increase for Ontarians as well as special circumstances that may increase operating costs such as enhanced COVID-19 requirements.
It also considered the average public rates being charged by local licensed child care centres in the County to ensure fair competitive rates in user fees.
The first, second, and third readings for this bylaw were read and passed at Thursday’s council meeting.
