Monday, November 09, 2015
Ministry of Education
Ontario Building 30 New Schools, Over 2,000 Licensed Child Care Spaces
Province Supporting Students and Families
Ontario is investing $498 million in new and renovated schools as well as new child care spaces to provide students with better places to learn while also giving families more options for quality licensed child care that is close to home.
Over the next few months, work will begin on:
- 30 new schools
- 26 major additions and renovations
- 122 safe, high-quality licensed child care rooms, resulting in 2,135 new licensed spaces for infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers.
Ontario is providing school boards across the province with more than $11 billion over 10 years to help build new schools in areas of high growth, improve the condition of existing schools and invest in projects to reduce surplus space through school consolidations.
The province is also creating more licensed child care spaces in local schools to give children the opportunity to transition from child care into full-day kindergarten at the same location, making for an easier adjustment. The new spaces are being built in areas where there is significant demand, enhancing access to quality child care options for families across the province.
Giving students the best possible learning environment is part of the government's plan for Ontario. The four-part plan is building Ontario up by investing in people's talents and skills, making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario's history, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives, and building a secure savings plan.
Quick Facts:
- Since 2003, the province has invested about $13.4 billion in school infrastructure, including nearly 755 new schools and more than 720 additions and renovations.
- Since 2003, the number of licensed child care spaces in Ontario has grown to nearly 351,000 – an increase of 87 per cent.
- In April 2015, the province announced $120 million over three years in new funding dedicated to building safe, high-quality, licensed child care spaces in schools across the province.
- The province has already allocated more than $80 million of this funding resulting in 2,901 new licensed child care spaces coming to communities across Ontario.
- Offering more licensed child care spaces in schools aligns with the government’s commitment to support community hubs in offering client-focused, co-ordinated services such as child care, education, health care and social services. Ontario will continue to work with partners to explore opportunities for the use of schools as community hubs to best meet the needs of students and communities.
Additional Resources:
Quotes:
"Our government is proud to invest in capital projects that are improving students’ learning environments and increasing access to quality licensed child care. These projects are bringing students and communities together — and in some cases reducing the cost of under-used space so we can reinvest savings back into the classroom."
— Liz Sandals, Minister of Education
Media Contacts:
Lauren Tedesco
Minister’s Office
416-325-0125
lauren.tedesco@ontario.ca
Gary Wheeler
Communications Branch
416-325-2454
gary.s.wheeler@ontario.ca
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