Yes! We are really excited to share that our application has be approved and our accounting team has been busy calculating fee credits and refunds where applicable. Please read the parapgraph above on this page "Retroactive Fee Rebates" to learn more.

Ontario has agreed to reduce child care fees for parents with children five years of age and younger to an average of $10 a day by September 2025. The fee reductions also apply to parents who are receiving partial fee subsidy with a parent contribution.

As a licensed child care provider with an approved application for this program, RisingOaks families will experience the following:

The first fee reduction of up to 25% will come into effect in 2022, retroactive to April 1.

• Parents or guardians of children who are eligible do not have to apply to receive a child care fee reduction.
• A revised fee scheduled will be posted on November 1.
• Credits for the retroactive fee rebates will be applied to your account on November 1, as well.
  • This credit will be applied towards your reduced fees for November and December, with any remaining balance issued as a refund on December 15.

A further 25% reduction in parent fees will occur at the end of Dec 2022, to take effect January 1, 2023.

Fees will further be reduced to an average of $10 a day by Sept 2025.

• The average calculation includes those on fee subsidy and those who pay child care fees directly.

RisingOaks is a licenced child care operator that has opted-in for the program and we have already been approved!

As a RisingOaks family, there are no steps for you to enrol. See "Child Care Fees" above for more info on fee reductions.

Infant, toddler, preschool and kindergarten students are eligible for fee rebates/reductions in the following circumstances:

• Any child enrolled in a licensed child care program, until the last day of the month in which the child turns 6 years old; and
• Up until June 30 in a calendar year, for any child who turns six years old between January 1 and June 30 in that calendar year.

The fee reductions also apply to parents who are receiving partial fee subsidy with a parent contribution.

Children over the age of six, (with the exception of those who are six years of age before June 30th, but are still enrolled in kindergarten)

Under the guidelines, with reduced fees, no program will be less than $12 a day. This is important to note for those who are only registered in before school (and not after school) as many of those programs are already less than $12 a day and will not be reduced.

All unlicensed child care programs are ineligible to participate in the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care system.

Yes, the fee reductions also apply to parents who are receiving partial fee subsidy with a parent contribution. The $12.00 minimum is waived for parents on fee subsidy.

The CWELCC plan aims to give families access to more affordable and high-quality child care options, help lower child care fees for parents of children aged six and under, increase child care spaces, support the child care workforce and support inclusive child care.

This reduction plan for children who qualify, will be in phases over the next five years:

• Fees lowered by 25% (to a minimum daily fee of $12) as of April 2022
• Fees lowered by 50% (to a minimum daily fee of $12) by the end of 2022
• Fees lowered to an average of $10 a day by September 2025

As a RisingOaks family already enrolled in the program, if your child qualifies, the fee reduction and any eligible fee rebate, will be applied automatically as of November 1 and then ongoing based on the timeline above.

Here are a couple of examples:

As of November 1, RisingOaks will issue a revised fee schedule showing the first 25% fee reduction for the following eligible programs:

Infant
Toddler
Preschool
School-age*
Jr. Camp*

* Note that children in school-age programs only qualify up to age 6.

• For those in before and after school who turn 6 prior to June 30, they will qualify for the remainder of the school year.
• If a child turns six on or after July 1, they will only qualify for reduced fees until the end of their birthday month.

Under the guidelines, with reduced fees, no program will be less than $12 a day. This is important to note for those who are only registered in before school (and not after school) as many of those programs are already less than $12 a day and will not be reduced.

Retroactive Fee Rebates will be issued as a credit on November 1, which will be applied to your reduced fees for November and December. Any remaining balance will be refunded on December 15.

Here's an example showing the Fee Reduction and Rebates for a preschool child:

For families still enrolled in a program at RisingOaks:

• Fee rebates (April 1 to Oct 31) are currently being calculated and will be applied to your account as a credit on November 1, 2022.
• This credit will be applied to your reduced fees for November and December - lowering or eliminating a payment to RisingOaks for those months.
• On December 15, 2022, any remaining credit due to CWELCC fee rebates will be refunded to your bank account.

Eligible families who have since withdrawn from RisingOaks will receive a fee refund (for the Apr 1 to Oct 31 rebate) either by direct deposit or e-transfer by November 30.