Workforce Compensation

Two Streams of Funding for Registered Early Childhood Educators

There are two (2) separate streams of Workforce Compensation funding for child care agencies enrolled in the Canada-Wide Early Learning & Child Care (CWELCC) System: the wage floor and the annual increase.

Steps to calculate wage:

• Step 1, Base Wage: Base wage must meet current Ontario minimum wage requirements.
• Step 2, Wage Enhancement Grant (WEG): Add WEG to base wage ($2 per hour, up to maximum as per WEG Guidelines) for eligible positions.
• Step 3, CWELCC Wage Floor: Eligible registered early childhood educators (RECEs) who earn less than the wage floor receive CWELCC System Workforce Compensation funds to bring their pay up to the floor.

The wage floor annual increases are as follows:

It is important to note that the CWELCC System Workforce Compensation funds operate on top of the existing WEG. Figures for the wage floor in the chart above include the employee’s base wage (i.e. base wage + and WEG)

• Step 4, CWELCC Annual Wage Increase: Add CWELCC annual wage increase ($1.00 per hour, up to the maximum cap of $25.00 per hour) for eligible positions.
• Step 5, Planned Employer Increase: Add any employer increases.

Eligibility

Positions eligible for the Workforce Compensation funding include:

• Registered early childhood educator (RECE) program staff
• Registered early childhood educator (RECE) child care supervisors
• Registered early childhood educator (RECE) home child care visitors

Positions that are not eligible for the Workforce Compensation funding include:

• Non-RECE program staff (including director-approved staff)
• Non-RECE program staff
• Non-program staff (including cooking, custodial and non-program positions)
• Special Needs Resourcing (SNR)-funded teachers/consultants and other supplemental staff
• Staff hired through a third party (e.g. temp agency)

Applying for the Wage Enhancement Grant (WEG) is a requirement for all agencies enrolling in the CWELCC System.

Funding for Non-Registered Early Childhood Educators Minimum Wage Offset:

Agencies participating in the CWELCC System, and who employ staff in a position categorized as non-RECE program staff; non-RECE child care supervisor; and non-RECE home child care visitor, are eligible for minimum wage offset funding to support the agency’s requirement to meet provincial employer minimum wage requirements.