Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Directed Growth

All early learning and child care licensees are eligible to apply to the CWELCC directed growth plan if your project will be in operation by December 31, 2026.  The following are some examples of when you will need to apply to the program through the County of Simcoe:

• Centre-based and home-based child care licensees who are already operating in Simcoe County and are already opted into CWELCC, and would like to revise current licensed capacity in an existing program that would increase the number of licensed spaces for 0-5year old children.

• Centre-based and home-based child care licensees who are already operating in Simcoe County and are already opted into CWELCC and would like to open a new site that would create new spaces for 0–5-year-old children.

• Centre-based and home-based early learning and child care licensees who are not currently operating in Simcoe County and would like to open a new early learning and child care site in Simcoe that would create new spaces for 0-5 year old children. 

• Centre-based and home-based child care licensees who are already operating in Simcoe County but are not already opted in the CWELCC system.

For 1:1 consultation regarding whether your situation applies, please contact elcc@simcoe.ca

Before you apply, we encourage you to:

• Understand the Planning and Design Guidelines for Licensed Child Care Centres   
• Understand the initial priority neighbourhoods for directed growth in Simcoe County

• Review and understand Ontario’s Access and Inclusion Framework

• Understand the legislative requirements for Licensed Child Care.

• Develop a viable business plan

With our commitment to the principles of the Access and Inclusion Framework, we are implementing a two-step application process for CWELCC Directed Growth in Simcoe County.  The first step will be to become approved as a pre-qualified Licensee.  Once approved as a pre-qualified Licensee, you will be eligible to apply if/​when we announce opportunities for Directed Growth Projects.  Only pre-qualified Licensees will be eligible to apply. 

The pre-qualification submissions will be evaluated by a committee comprising County staff and a sector stakeholder.  The evaluation criteria are clearly described in the RFPQ document and are based on alignment with the principles of the Access and Inclusion Framework as they relate to quality standards, staffing practices, financial viability, and approaches to access equity and inclusion.

Pre-qualified Licensees will be invited to apply for consideration for Directed Growth Projects. The applications will be scored based alignment of the proposed project to the greatest priority neighbourhoods identified, flexible hours and models of care relative to needs in the neighbourhood, equity-enrolment commitments, and must be approved according to our required not-for-profit and for-profit system operating ratio.   

Future calls for Directed Growth Projects

We will be accepting applications for 2025-26 CWELCC Directed Growth projects from April 16th, 2025, to May 5th, 2025 at 2:00 pm. Late application will NOT be accepted.

Thank you for your interest in participating in CWELCC Directed Growth in Simcoe County. When opportunities open to apply for specific directed growth projects in priority neighborhoods across Simcoe County, they will be open to operators on our Qualified Supplier List exclusively, determined through a Request for Prequalification (RFPQ) application process.

At this stage, we are not accepting new submissions for inclusion on the Prequalified Supplier List.

To further support the creation of new spaces for children ages 0-4, funding may be available through the Infrastructure Fund and/or Start-up Grant to help offset eligible start-up expenses of approved directed growth projects.

Start-up Grant funding may be available to support the creation of new community-based full-day licensed child care spaces. The funding may be used to offset costs associated with expansion and creation of new spaces and may include materials and equipment purchases and minor renovations.

The Infrastructure Fund supports exclusively not-for-profit, community-based, licensed child care centres and will complement the Start-up Grant program. Infrastructure funds may be used for new construction, renovations and retrofits and may include expenses incurred through the planning, design and building stages, and the purchase of land or buildings.  For more information please see the 2025 County of Simcoe Infrastructure Fund Guidelines.

2025 County of Simcoe Infrastructure Fund Guidelines