Index of January 2010 Posts

January 28
Full Day Early Learning – Finding Information on the Internet

January 24
Analyzing the financial impact of shutting down your care program for four- and five-year-olds

January 20
Fee subsidy for low-income families in the Ministry of Education Early Learning Program

January 19
Best Start and the Ministry of Education Early Learning Program (ELP) – two separate programs for children

January 14
Contacts at the Ministry of Education, Early Learning Division

January 13
Phase I ELP sites announced

January 12
Before- and after-school care for children in full-day kindergarten in the ELP

January 5
Early Days: facts and unanswered questions about full-day early learning in Ontario

Full Day Early Learning – Finding Information on the Internet

Following is a list of some of the organizations/government departments involved with Full Day Early Learning and their Internet addresses. These sites are places to find information on the program and monitor its implementation. Please let me know if you are aware of other informative sites.

City of Toronto, Children's Services
http://www.toronto.ca/children/

Childcare Resource and Research Unit
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=128125&AA_EX_Session=48a30653c64324c1fb4fdc190cc48c5b

Ontario Coalition for Better Childcare
http://www.childcareontario.org/?tag=full-day-learning

Ontario Ministry of Education
Early Learning - http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/earlylearning/
Extended Day - http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/earlylearning/extend.html
Note: The Ministry communicates intent and policy to boards of education, in part, by Early Learning [EL] memos issued by the Assistant Deputy Minister, Jim Grieve. To access these memos, go to http://cal2.edu.gov.on.ca/index.html. To the date of this posting there have been two memos issued.

Ontario Municipal Social Services Association
http://www.omssa.com/singlepage.asp?itemid=41755&itemcode=OMSSA-WNEW-RP

People for Education
http://www.peopleforeducation.com/news

Toronto, Children's Services
See City of Toronto above
http://www.toronto.ca/children/

Toronto Coalition for Better Childcare
http://childcaretoronto.org/

Toronto District School Board
http://www.tdsb.on.ca/_site/ViewItem.asp?siteid=96&menuid=20612&pageid=18022

Toronto Star
http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/education/earlylearning

Analyzing the financial impact of shutting down your care program for four- and five-year-olds

Fact: Beginning in September 2010, Ontario boards of education will start to offer full-day junior and senior kindergarten in some schools. The boards will also be responsible for providing before- and after-school childcare to the children in full-day kindergarten where there is sufficient demand. This month the Ontario Ministry of Education announced the names of 579 schools that will offer the Early Learning Program (ELP) in the 2010-11 school year.

Implications for childcare operators providing care to four- and five-year-olds
If the school in your centre's catchment area is chosen for full-day kindergarten and before- and after-school childcare for the children in full-day kindergarten, your centre may lose most or all of its four- and five-year-olds. It is important to understand the financial consequences of losing this program and to analyze them soon so that you and your board of directors can plan accordingly.

A method of analysis
You may find the sample calculation shown below to be useful for analyzing the financial impact of shutting down all or part of your program for four- and five-year-olds.

Most childcare programs licensed under the Day Nurseries Act of Ontario offer programs by age group (infants, toddlers, pre-school children and school-aged children). Furthermore, childcare is most often provided to each age group in a separate physical space or room. Each playroom has direct costs of care based on:

1. The maximum number of children that can be cared for in that room. The number of children in a room is governed by the Day Nurseries Act of Ontario.
   
2. The complement of staff who look after the children. That number is also governed by the Day Nurseries Act of Ontario.
   
3. Play supplies, food and other costs specific to that room.

A childcare centre also has costs (which are often called overhead costs) that are not associated with any one room. These costs include, among others, insurance, utilities and non-program staff, such as an off-program supervisor and a cook.

A centre's revenue comes mainly from parents' fees and subsidies, both of which are directly related to the number of children it has enrolled. Centre revenue not directly associated with enrolment includes fundraising, GST rebates and interest. This revenue is usually minor in relation to all costs.

If your childcare centre is to remain viable, it must generate enough revenue from each playroom to cover both the direct costs of care in that room and a portion of total overhead costs. If you close your program for four- and five-year-olds, determine how much additional revenue must be generated to cover overhead costs, or how much overhead costs must be reduced to balance the budget.

As a first step, the following method of calculation can be used to determine the contribution a playroom makes to your centre's overhead costs. The example has been simplified to focus on the main elements of revenue and expenses:

In the above example, the playroom contributes $31,000 towards the centre's overhead. If the room is closed, the centre must either trim $31,000 from its overhead or find additional sources of revenue. In a stand-alone centre, the only way to earn considerable additional revenue is to raise your fees. I will discuss some of the difficulties of raising fees in another posting.

For a more detailed discussion of budgeting childcare revenue and expenses in Ontario, please refer to:

http://www.187gerrard.com/financial/budgeting.htm.

Recommendations

1. Determine which playrooms in your program may be threatened when the school in your catchment area begins providing full-day kindergarten and before- and after-school childcare to those children.
   
2. Determine on a playroom by playroom basis the expected reduction of the contribution to overhead if you need to close a playroom (see the example above).
   
3. Start to plan for the event.
   

Stay tuned for the next posting on February 3. I will look at how the Ministry of Education has advised boards of education to calculate the fees to be charged to parents of kindergarten children for before- and after-school childcare.

Fee subsidy for low-income families in the Ministry of Education Early Learning Program

Fact: The provincial government has not yet announced any details about subsidies to help low-income parents pay for childcare outside the regular school day (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.), during July and August, during the Christmas and March breaks, on weekends and holidays, and on PD days.

In November 2009, Jim Grieve, the assistant deputy minister for the Early Learning Division of the Ministry of Education, had this to say to boards of education in a question-and-answer e-mail:

"Q5. How will fees be managed for extended day?

A5. We are still working with boards, Ministry of Children and Youth Services and other partners on the details of the extended day program. We understand boards would benefit from knowing more and we are working on providing boards with further information as soon as possible."

A City of Toronto staff report dated December 17, 2009, and prepared for a committee meeting on January 8, 2010, voiced the following concern:

"There are questions about the availability of subsidies and concerns related to the possible creation of several subsidy systems….With 4 school boards in the City there could potentially be 4 school subsidy administrators and the City providing fee subsidies for the child care sector."
See http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2010/cd/bgrd/backgroundfile-26135.pdf, page 8.)

What you need to know: There has been no announcement yet as to how subsidies will be administered for children in the before- and after-school Ministry of Education ELP programs. Parents who have questions should call their MPP, city Councillor or school board trustee to find out when the announcements will be made.

Changes to childcare salary grants   
Fact: We are not aware of any discussion of changes to the existing salary grant programs (DOG, PEG, WEG, WIG and various pay equity payments) when funding ends for the Best Start program and the Ministry of Education ELP begins.

What you need to know:
1. Salary grants attached to Best Start funding may be in danger when that funding stops.
2. We do not know if the existing childcare subsidies for children eligible for Ministry of Education ELP will remain in the childcare system or will be reassigned to the Ministry of Education.

Strategies for childcare operators
• To find out the details about any changes to the subsidy system and childcare staff salary grants, call the MPP, city councillor or school board trustee for your centre’s riding or ward.
• Give the details about changes to the subsidy system to parents as soon as the information is available.
• As soon as details about changes in salary grant programs become available, discuss the changes and how they will affect staff salaries with your board of directors.


Stay tuned for the next posting on January 27. I will discuss how you might analyze the financial impact of closing your care program for four and five year olds.

Best Start and the Ministry of Education Early Learning Program (ELP) – two separate programs for children

Facts:
Funding for the Best Start childcare program, which began in 2005 and was intended to last for 10 years, will end in March 2010. The funding for this program comes from the federal government to the provincial government, which then passes it on to the municipalities, which in turn distribute funds to eligible childcare centres.

In Toronto, the City does not make any direct contribution to the Best Start program. City of Toronto staff expects that childcare subsidies will start to be reduced on January 1, 2011, because of the end of federal government Best Start funding.
(See
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2010/cd/bgrd/backgroundfile-26135.pdf
page 10.)

What you need to know: Subsidy reductions resulting from the ending of Best Start funding are not directly related to the Ministry of Education Early Learning Program. The Ministry of Education ELP is for children 4 and 5 years old and takes place in schools. The Best Start program, on the other hand, provides a range of programs and services for children, primarily in licensed childcare centres which are often not located in schools.

Contacts at the Ministry of Education, Early Learning Division

Fact: Early Learning Education Officers are "first contacts" for boards of education wanting information about the ELP, including the extended day program. Enquiries by email should go to: ELP_AJE@ontario.ca.

The following people in the Ministry of Education are involved with the Early Learning Program (as at January 13, 2010):

Contact	Position	Phone Number	Location
Jim Grieve	Assistant Deputy Minister, Early Learning Division		Toronto
Jill Vienneau	Director, Early Learning Policy and Program Branch	416-314-2190	Toronto
Pam Musson	Director, Early Learning Implementation Branch	416-314-8192	Toronto
Debra Hyland	Early Learning Education Officer	705-725-7632	Barrie Regional Office
Carol-Lynne Oldale	Early Learning Education Officer	807-474-2990	Thunder Bay Regional Office
Rod Peturson	Early Learning Education Officer	519-667-2042	London Regional Office
Moira Sinclair	Early Learning Education Officer	416-325-4149	Toronto & Area Regional Office
Jacques Torjman	Early Learning Education Officer	613-225-9210 x 136	Ottawa Regional Office
Carmen Turcot	Early Learning Education Officer	705-497-6897	Sudbury/North Bay Regional Office

Phase I ELP sites announced

Fact: The Ontario Ministry of Education has approved the ELP sites for the 2010-11 school year (579 by our count). See the list at http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/earlylearning/PhaseOneSchools.html

What you need to know: If the school in your area is on the Ministry of Education list then an ELP will be established in that school commencing September 2010.

Before- and after-school care for children in full-day kindergarten in the ELP

Fact: Starting in September 2010, Ontario boards of education will start to provide full-day kindergarten to children in some schools. The boards will also be responsible for providing before- and after-school childcare to those same kindergarten children. Jim Grieve, the assistant deputy minister for the Early Learning Division of the Ministry of Education, had this to say to educators working for boards of education in a Q & A email in November 2009:

“Q1. Can school boards partner with an existing childcare provider to provide the extended day component of the early learning program?

“A1. The Early Learning initiative will be a School Board program integrating a core school day and staff with a Board-delivered extended day. This is a different, more integrated approach than one that has children moving between programs and locations. Over the phase in period, Boards will need to transition school-based programs that offer wrap-around care in partnership with community organizations to the integrated, Board-based model. Community-based partnerships can continue to play a role in Boards’ plans to serve other age groups and meet the needs of children outside the regular school year.”

Definitions (for the purposes of this blog):
Regular school year – The whole calendar year except for July and August, Christmas and March breaks, weekends and holidays, and PD days. This is about 188 days, 72% of a full working year.
Kindergarten-aged children – Children from three years eight months to five years
Other age groups – Infants, toddlers and pre-school children up to three years eight months, and school-age children from six to twelve years.

An Early Learning Program (ELP) day for children in senior and junior kindergarten is divided into three parts and will be paid for as follows:
1) Early morning to 9 a.m.: Paid for in full by fees charged to parents. Subsidies may be available for low-income families
2) 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (approximately): Funded by boards of education
3) 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Paid for in full by fees charged to parents. Subsidies may be available for low-income families.



What you need to know – Interpreting Jim Grieve's answer to the above question:
• “Boards will need to transition school based programs…to the integrated Board-based model.”
Translation: Boards of education will provide before- and after-school programs only in schools that offer full-day kindergarten. It appears that organizations other than boards of education (that is, stand-alone or multi-site-operated childcare centres) will not be allowed to provide before- and after-school care to kindergarten children in full-day kindergarten.

• “Community-based partnerships can continue to play a role in Boards’ plans to serve other age groups ...”
Translation: Someone else can provide childcare for children who are either too young or too old for junior and senior kindergarten and for children who opt out of full-day kindergarten. (School attendance is not compulsory until grade one.)

• “Community-based partnerships can continue to play a role in Boards’ plans to… meet the needs of children outside the regular school year.”
Translation: Someone else may possibly offer childcare outside of the regular school year (see definition above) for children in full-day kindergarten.

Implications for childcare operators serving kindergarten-aged children
1. You will probably lose most or all the kindergarten-aged children who attend a school chosen by a board of education to provide full-day kindergarten.
2. School boards and municipalities will presumably work together to provide childcare outside of the regular school year to children eligible for full-day kindergarten. Parents will need information well in advance to ensure that their childcare needs will be met for a full working day every week day of the year.
3. In order to have time to adjust or wind down the program in your centre, you will need at least a year’s notice of what school in your area will be offering full-day kindergarten.

Stay tuned for the next posting on January 20.

Early Days: facts and unanswered questions about full-day early learning in Ontario

Where does the implementation of the Full Day Early Learning Program in Ontario for four- and five- year olds stand today? Here are three things to consider:

(i) Charles Pascal’s Report

Fact: Charles Pascal presented his report, With Our Best Foot Forward: Implementing Early Learning in Ontario, to the Premier of Ontario on June 15, 2009. As quoted in the Ontario government backgrounder available on the Internet, this report “contains a number of recommendations including how to introduce full-day learning to Ontario students, how to improve education for children up to 12 and how to increase supports for young families.”

What you need to know: The recommendations are just that – recommendations. Pascal’s report is background information. The Ministry of Education has been charged with implementing a Full Day Early Learning Program (ELP), and it will set its own policies and regulations. The actual policies will originate there.

(ii) Ontario Ministry of Education October 27, 2009, memo to Directors of Education

Fact: In this 2½ page memo, the Ontario Ministry of Education has outlined its implementation plan for the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 school years. I strongly urge you to download it and read it for yourself.
http://bmemos.edu.gov.on.ca/Memos/B2009/B_12E%20-%20Implementation%20of%20E-Learning%20for%20four%20and%20five%20year%20olds.pdf

What you need to know: Highlights of the memo (quoted from and paraphrased here) are as follows:
• 35,000 spaces will be available for four- and five-year olds in Ontario in the 2010-11 school year. This amount to between 6,500 and 7,000 spaces in the City of Toronto.
• The Full Day Early Learning Program will be fully implemented by 2015-16.
• Children in senior kindergarten and junior kindergarten who are in the program will receive a full school day of kindergarten (9AM to 3PM) funded by boards of education.
• Before- and after- school childcare will be “funded by parent fees on a full cost-recovery basis.”
• “Some subsidies will be available for low-income families.”
• Boards of education must “begin to develop” a communication plan in January 2010 to inform parents of implementation plans for year one.
• Once ELP schools have been chosen, kindergarten registration for 2010 will begin.

For authoritative information on the ELP in future, look to Ministry of Education memos for administrators. The memo noted above comes from that source:
http://bmemos.edu.gov.on.ca/B_Memos_2009.html

(iii) Toronto District School Board (TDSB) proposes 75 ELP sites

Fact: The TDSB has proposed 75 ELP sites for the 2010-11 school year. See the list at
http://www.tdsb.on.ca/about_us/media_room/room.asp?show=allNews&view=detailed&self=22860

What you need to know: This list may change as these sites have not yet been approved by the Ontario Ministry of Education. A final list is expected in mid-January.


There are many unanswered questions for parents and operators and Boards of Directors of childcare centres:
1. What effect will this program have on my centre’s enrolment?
2. When will the school in my area be chosen for ELP?
3. When will the ELP school in my area establish a before- and after-school childcare program for four- and five- year olds?
4. How will the subsidy system work?
5. What salary grants currently received by our staff will be continue to be available?
6. How will our Pay Equity responsibilities be affected by ELP?
7. Where do I get answers to these questions?

Stay tuned for the next posting on January 13.