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Section 1: Introduction
This guideline provides licensed child care providers and home child care agencies (i.e. “Service
Providers”) with key information regarding the 2019 Wage Enhancement Grant/ 2019 Home Child
Care Enhancement Grant (WEG/HCCEG). The 2019 WEG/HCCEG is intended to:
• Close the wage gap between Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECE) wages in the
school board and licensed child care sectors;
• Stabilize Service Providers by helping them to retain RECEs/child care staff/providers; and
• Support greater employment and income security.
Sections in the guideline that include updated or new information are flagged with the following
symbol:
To support Service Providers in completing the 2019 WEG/HCCEG application, the Region of
Peel will be holding information sessions via teleconference. Please refer to your WEG/HCCEG
memo for further details regarding date/time and registration information.
The 2019 Wage Enhancement Grant (WEG) supports an increase of up to $2 per hour, plus
17.5% benefits for licensed program staff and home visitors.
The 2019 Home Child Care Enhancement Grant (HCCEG) supports an increase of up to $20
per day for home child care providers contracted with a licensed home child care agency.
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Section 3: Key Dates for 2019 WEG/HCCEG Funding
Date Details
July 10, 2019 Application Open
All Service Providers who are eligible for WEG/HCCEG are required to
complete the 2019 WEG/HCCEG application using the Early Years and
Child Care Funds Management Technology System.
July 31, 2019 Application Closes
Completed applications are due to the Region.
(Exception: Service Providers newly licensed after July 31, 2019 may
apply after this date. Approval of 2019 WEG/HCCEG for these Service
Providers is subject to available funding).
Third Quarter 2019 WEG/HCCEG Approvals
Confirmation of funding will be available once 2019 applications are
approved. Funding amounts will be communicated in your 2019
WEG/HCCEG contracts/amendments.
December 31, 2019 Deadline for Service Providers to Make Payments to Staff
Service Providers to make final 2019 WEG/HCCEG payment to eligible
staff/provider. Final payment may be flowed in the payroll that covers
December 31, 2019.
First Quarter 2020 WEG/HCCEG Reporting and Reconciliation
2019 WEG/HCCEG Reporting and Reconciliation package released by
the Region. Service Providers are required to complete and submit this
package to the Region using the Early Years and Child Care Funds
Management Technology System.
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Section 4: Eligibility Criteria
All Service Providers are eligible to apply for WEG/HCCEG funding, including Service Providers
who are newly licensed in 2019.
*If the position spends at least 25% of the time supporting ratio requirements under the CCEYA,
then this position is eligible for WEG/HCCEG for the number of hours that the position supports
ratios.
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Home Child Care Enhancement Grant (HCCEG) – Home Child Care Providers
When determining eligibility and payments for HCCEG, information on privately placed
children must be considered.
Home Child Care Providers may qualify for full or partial HCCEG based on the following
eligibility criteria:
For further information relating to positions and eligibility for 2019 WEG/HCCEG, please refer to
the Staff Position and Eligibility Chart in Appendix 1.
Home child care agencies that contract with home providers who work for more than one
agency should refer to Section 10: Home Child Care Providers Contracted with Multiple
Agencies for further direction.
The Supplemental Grant provides an additional amount of $150.00 for each eligible full-time
equivalent (FTE) position at a centre or home visitor, and $50 for each eligible home child
care provider.
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The Supplemental Grant allows Service Providers some flexibility to implement WEG/HCCEG in
a way that aligns with their regular operations. It must be used to support staff, home visitors’
and home child care providers’ hourly/daily wage/payments or benefits including:
• Salary/payment shortfalls between the hours included in your application and actual
hours/days worked (due to increased hours in program or new staff/home care providers);
• Additional mandatory benefits (e.g. vacation time/pay, sick days);
• Other benefits once employer mandatory benefits are covered (e.g. additional sick days
and/or additional benefits); and/or
• Professional development days (WEG entitlement for staff absences and/or attendance).
While the Supplemental Grant is funded based on FTEs, Service Providers have the flexibility to
set priorities on how to use this Grant. The Supplemental Grant for each eligible position must
be calculated based on hours/days worked or a benefit percentage. It cannot be paid out as a
flat rate lump sum and cannot be used to support administrative expenses. Please ensure staff
are aware of your agency’s approach to distributing this funding.
Statutory Contributions
Employer • Canada Pension Plan (CPP)
Contributions • Employment Insurance (EI)
• Workers Safety Insurance Board (WSIB)
• Employer Health Tax (EHT)
Employee • Vacation Pay
Benefits • Public Holiday Pay (nine statutory holidays)
o New Year’s Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada
Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, and Boxing Day.
Once all statutory benefits requirements are met (including vacation and statutory days), any
remaining funding within 17.5% can be used to fund other benefit expenses associated with
WEG/HCCEG or $2.00 per hour payments that are paid by the employer on behalf of the
employees (i.e. staff that receive wages for paid days off such as vacation days or statutory
holidays are also eligible to receive WEG payments through remaining unallocated
Supplemental Grant). Service Providers must be able to demonstrate the costs associated for
such plans in relation to the WEG/HCCEG funding distributed.
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In addition, any unused benefit funds can also be used to pay salaries associated with
WEG/HCCEG similarly to the flexibility of the Supplemental Grant. This is a one-way flexibility
of funds as the salary budget cannot be used to cover benefits.
Service Providers are required to document mandatory benefits and other benefits paid
associated with the $2.00 per hour paid to staff. Please ensure your payment records allow for
this reporting expectation.
Service Providers will receive the WEG/HCCEG Administration Expense Grant. This funding
must be used to support administration expenses associated with the implementation of
WEG/HCCEG such as:
• Additional costs associated with the internal payment processes required to provide
WEG/HCCEG to staff and home child care providers,
• Upgrading payment systems,
• Training for staff related to this initiative, and
• Internal process to track data and expenditures to fulfill reporting requirements (both
Region of Peel and provincial).
Applications for WEG/HCCEG will be accepted through the Early Years and Child Care Funds
Management Technology System from July 10, 2019 to July 31, 2019.
• All Service Providers are required to complete and submit an application to receive
WEG/HCCEG funding for 2019.
• Service Providers who are newly licensed as of July 31, 2019 will be considered for
WEG/HCCEG funding subject to the availability of funds.
• Applications will use 2018 data to determine funding eligibility for 2019. Service Providers
licensed in 2019 are required to provide:
o Actual number of hours worked for eligible positions from January to July 2019
o Estimated number of hours worked for eligible positions for August to December 2019
• Service Providers who are new to WEG/HCCEG and have not previously received funding
from the Region must submit the following to EarlyYearsSystemDivision@peelregion.ca:
o A copy of your incorporation papers;
o A completed Direct Deposit Form; and
o A copy of your current insurance using the Region’s form;
Please refer to the WEG/HCCEG User Guides for information on completing the
application using the Technology System.
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Section 9: WEG/HCCEG Grant Distribution/Communications
Service Providers are required to provide payment to all eligible staff/home child care
providers once WEG/HCCEG funding has been received. Payment is for hours/days worked
from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019.
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Flexibility of Funding Use
Staff/providers working in approved positions are prioritized to access WEG/HCCEG. Eligible
positions not included in the application may be funded at the discretion of the Service Provider.
For example, unused Benefit Funding and the Supplemental Grant may be used to fund
additional hours/days worked once mandatory requirements are met.
Service Providers can redistribute surplus WEG/HCCEG funding to offset shortfalls in other
positions provided commitments to approved positions have been met. Any adjustments to
applications submitted in 2019 will be updated the next funding year.
Payment Frequency and Communication to Staff and Home Child Care Providers
Service Providers are required to issue WEG or HCCEG payments to staff/providers on each
pay cheque/payment. Once funds are deposited into bank accounts, payments are to be
issued by the next payroll/payment date.
Service Providers are required to develop an updated distribution policy for WEG/HCCEG. The
policy must cover the following:
• Salary and benefits for staff/providers (rates funded)
• Payment frequency and funding amounts
• Priorities and approach to using the Supplemental Grant (i.e. shortfalls, additional positions,
sick hours, etc.)
• Administration funding
Your distribution policy must be shared with all staff/home child care providers. Service providers
are not required to submit this policy with their application; however, you may be required to
demonstrate that communication has been shared upon request by the Region of Peel.
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Section 10: Home Child Care Providers Contracted with Multiple Agencies
When a home child care agency contracts with a provider, they should inquire whether the
provider is contracted with any other agencies. In cases where a provider is contracted with
more than one home child care agency, the agencies are required to work together to determine
how payments will be made to the home child care provider. Please refer to the table below for
further information on payment distribution.
Program Closures
If a Service Provider applied for WEG/HCCEG and closes within the current year, the Region
will work with the Service Provider to meet the accountability requirements and support
payments to eligible staff and/or home child care providers for hours worked before the closure.
If the program closes prior to the Region entering into a wage enhancement agreement with the
program, funding may not be transferred. These cases will be subject to case by case review by
the Region of Peel.
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In order to support the approval to amalgamate/transfer programs the following applies:
• There are no substantial changes to either program offered, or staff employed under
the new arrangement;
• The transformation supports the continuity of care and program viability; and
• Accountability and reporting requirements can be met.
The Region may be required to amend or reissue the WEG/HCCEG Service Agreement to
ensure accurate information and accountability for the transfer of funding.
The Region of Peel monitors WEG/HCCEG expenses through a review of the reconciliation
and reporting package as well as other requirements as requested.
Please note that the Reconciliation and Reporting package will be due to the Region in
the first quarter of 2020.
Area Requirement
• Complete and submit the Reconciliation package using the Early Years
and Child Care Funds Management Technology System.
• Provide a statement from the Owner or Board of Directors which
attests that 100% of:
o WEG was provided to eligible staff; and/or
o HCCEG was provided directly to eligible providers and eligible
home visitors.
• Service Providers are required to keep appropriate records
verifying the amount of WEG/HCCEG funding that was received as
Reporting per their contract and documentation of payments and distribution
Requirements of funds to staff/providers.
• Service Providers must report funding used by position category
(i.e. RECE/Non-RECE/Supervisor/Home Visitor) by eligibility (i.e.
full/partial) and must be entered by component (i.e.
salary/benefits).
• Payments to Home Child Care Providers must be reported by
eligibility (i.e. full/partial).
• All WEG/HCCEG is to be used to support the funding conditions
outlined in your Service Agreement. Any unspent funding will be
recovered by the Region and returned to the Province.
Audit • Providers are required to keep all original expenditure documentation for a
Approach minimum of 7 years.
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• Service Providers may be selected for a review of the WEG/HCCEG
expenses identified in your annual Reconciliation Report, through the
Region’s WEG/HCCEG Distribution Review process.
• The Region may conduct site visits to confirm that funding was used for
the approved purpose(s). If deemed necessary, an accountability review
may be completed.
In the event that the Region determines that a Service Provider has failed to meet the funding
conditions outlined in this Guideline, the Region will recover all misused funds. Additionally,
non-compliant service providers may be deemed ineligible for future WEG/HCCEG funding.
In the event that the centre staff/home visitor/provider does not feel that their question is being
addressed, the Region of Peel will contact the Service Provider/Agency on their behalf.
Contact Information
Please direct inquiries to:
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Inquiry Type Email Address Telephone Number
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Appendix 1: Staff Position and Eligibility Chart
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