Table 1. Comparing Ontario Kindergarten and Childcare Programs
From: Building a Strong and Equal Partnership between Childcare and Early Childhood Education in Canada
Kindergarten | Regulated childcare | |
|---|---|---|
Purpose | Education | Care while parents work/study; regulation system for basic quality, therefore “education” |
Responsible ministry | Education | Children and Youth Services |
Financing and fees | Publicly funded according to provincial funding formula. No fees. | User-pay, fee subsidies for low income. Some operational funding. Public funds include federal, provincial municipal dollars, flow through municipal governments. |
Is it an entitlement? | Yes | No |
Who sets up and operates? | Local elected school boards | Community groups, entrepreneurs, municipalities |
Schedule | Generally 2.5 hours per day; some full school day alternate days, some full school-day, every day. No summers or school holidays. | Full-time to meet parents’ work schedules (limited provision of extended hours) |
Compulsory? | No (School attendance compulsory at approximately 6 years) | No |
Teacher training | Four year degree. Teacher training and certification. Background in early childhood education not required. | Two year diploma in early childhood education for one adult with each group of children; no training required for other adult. |
Workforce organization | Strongly unionized as part of province-wide elementary teachers’ union | Some unionized workers in multiple unions |
Wages | Salary scale, benefits set in school-board-wide collective bargaining; same as elementary teachers | Most centres establish own wage rates/benefits unless part of collective bargaining unit. Wide range of salaries. General agreement that low wages major problem in childcare field |
Age group | Four and five year olds (3.8 years-compulsory school age) | 0–12 year olds |
Class size/ratio | Class size of 20 (aspirational) | Ratio and group size set by regulation (1:10, group of 20 ) |
Provincial curriculum?1 | Yes | No |