Important: We are at program capacity and are accepting waitlist applications. Please follow the application link to apply to the waitlist. For support reach out to your Family Support Administrator or email us at elccsupport@metisnation.org.
Program Description
The Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) Child Care Subsidy Program assists Métis families with accessing safe, high-quality child care. The program is for Métis families who have child care costs for their children attending licensed child care. This program supports the mandatory cost associated with child care and, at this time, does not include specialized, additional fees such as programming, application costs, and food. The unique program considers a family’s income and expenses to calculate a subsidy.
Families can also access other child care fee programs, such as the child care fee subsidy, and benefit from Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care rate reductions.
Private child care may be approved on a case-by-case basis, with additional documentation required. Information is provided in the 2024-2025 Private Child Care Limits Supplemental guide.
Eligibility
To qualify for the MNO Child Care Subsidy Program:
- One parent or guardian must be an MNO citizen eligible for direct support
- Applicants must have a child aged 0-12 accessing formal child care
- Attending child care or having a guaranteed spot (i.e. not on a waitlist)
- Applicants must reside in Ontario
All Métis families who meet the qualifications are encouraged to apply. A waitlist may be implemented from time to time.
Application Process
Families are required to apply online. The online application will require families to have the following information
- Child Care forms (available for download on the application)
- Proof of child’s age
- Citizenship information
- Guardianship information (if applicable)
- Parenting agreement information (if applicable)
- Household income information- such as the most recent Notice of Assessment for all adults or two recent pay stubs
- Budget information.
If a family has trouble accessing the information required, they can email elccsupport@metisnation.org.
When the application is received, it will be reviewed by a Family Supports Administrator and the ELCC leadership team. The team will contact you if more information is required.
View the 2024-2025 Subsidy Guide and FAQ
CONTACT: If you need help with your application or would like to learn more about the Program please contact the Early Learning and Child Care team at elccsupport@metisnation.org
FAQ
A child care subsidy reduces the amount of money a family pays to a licensed child care provider for their children provided that they are under the age of 12.
This is a subsidy program that is needs based rather than income based. The Program takes into consideration that a Métis family’s household income does not always cover all household needs and family expenses.
You are eligible for this Program if you have a child or multiple children between the ages of 0 to 12 and are in need of child care. At least one parent or guardian must be a MNO citizen and the family must reside in Ontario. All Métis families who meet the qualifications are encouraged to apply. Each family will be equitably assessed, however, priority will be given to families with the most need.
To apply interested families must complete and submit the ELCC Subsidy Application Form including financial statements and a household expense list. Once the application and the required forms and information has been submitted they will be reviewed by the ELCC team to determine how much of a subsidy the family qualifies for.
Yes. If you are part of a Métis family that is already receiving a Regional or Municipal child care subsidy you can still apply for the Program to have the remainder of your child care costs covered.
To qualify a child care centre must be licensed and meet all regulations under the Ontario Child Care Licensing Manual. This includes child care sites, home-based child care locations, and extended day programs. The ELCC team will verify this information through the Ontario Ministry of Education licensed child care portal.
Payments will be made directly to the child care site on a quarterly basis. The ELCC team will work closely with the MNO finance branch to ensure payments are made in a timely fashion.
Through this Program the MNO may be able to assist families in such situations on a case-by-case basis. This includes child care that is provided in the family home and private child care arrangements. Please email elccsupport@metisnation.org for more information.
Yes. To qualify a family must be in good financial standing with their child care provider and a child can only have three (3) unexcused absences. The ELCC team will work with the family’s provider to ensure these compliance measurements are met.
Yes. Families with multiple children can apply. To do this each child needs to be listed separately on the application. Families will need to indicate the specific needs for each individual child as different programs and age groupings affect daily child care rates.
It depends. Parents or guardians who would like to have their children’s extracurricular activities reimbursed by the MNO are encouraged to complete the Extra-Curricular Reimbursement Form. Please email elccsupport@metisnation.org for more information.
Yes. Families will need to re-apply for funding on a yearly basis. This is because as a child grows the cost of care changes. Therefore, a yearly re-application is necessary to determine a child’s individual child care expenses.
The amount will vary depending on each family’s unique circumstances. Subsidy amounts are subject to the number or volume of applications received and the amount of funding available.
Updated: May 06, 2024