Bill 191, Childcare and Early Years Workforce Strategy Advisory Committee Act, 2024

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill enacts the Childcare and Early Years Workforce Strategy Advisory Committee Act, 2024, which establishes the Early Years Workforce Strategy Advisory Committee. The function of the Committee is to develop recommendations on how to support registered early childcare educators and the childcare and early years workforce with respect to certain matters. The Committee is required to provide its recommendations in an annual report to the Minister of Education, the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development and the Minister of Colleges and Universities. The Minister of Education is required to meet with the Committee at certain times and to prepare a status report setting out any actions taken by the Government with respect the recommendations of the Committee.

Bill 191 2024

An Act respecting the establishment of a Childcare and Early Years Workforce Strategy Advisory Committee

His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Childcare and Early Years Workforce Strategy Advisory Committee

1 (1)  The Childcare and Early Years Workforce Strategy Advisory Committee is established.

Composition

(2)  The Committee shall be composed of members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council from the following groups:

   1.  Registered early childcare educators and members of the childcare and early years workforce.

   2.  Provincial or regionally-based organizations and associations that represent registered early childcare educators and the childcare and early years workforce.

   3.  Designates from labour unions that represent registered early childcare educators and the childcare and early years care workforce.

   4.  Early years and childcare experts.

   5.  Black communities, Indigenous communities and the communities of other people of colour.

   6.  Northern and rural communities.

   7.  Francophone communities.

Functions

(3)  The Committee shall develop recommendations on how to support registered early childcare educators and the childcare and early years workforce and address staffing shortages, including recommendations respecting each of the following matters:

   1.  Increasing wages and adapting salary scales to increase compensation based on skill and experience level.

   2.  Minimum work standards, including minimum benefits, paid sick leave and paid time for planning and professional development.

   3.  Strategies to enable registered early childcare educators and members of the childcare and early years workforce to advance their qualifications.

   4.  Recruitment, including recruitment to Northern and rural areas and francophone communities.

   5.  Strategies with respect to immigration.

   6.  Strategies to improve collective bargaining.

   7.  Strategies to implement the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care system, considering the particularity of Ontario’s child care systems.

Report

(4)  The Committee shall prepare an annual report setting out its recommendations with respect to the matters referred to in subsection (3).

Same

(5)  The annual report shall be published on a website of the Government of Ontario and shall be sent to,

  (a)  the Minister of Education;

  (b)  the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development; and

  (c)  the Minister of Colleges and Universities.

Consultation

(6)  After the Committee prepares the first annual report, the Minister of Education shall meet with the Committee twice annually to discuss the Committee’s annual reports.

Status of recommendations

(7)  Within six months of receiving an annual report, the Minister of Education shall create a status report setting out any actions taken by the Government with respect the recommendations of the Committee and shall ensure that the status report is published on a website of the Government of Ontario.

Commencement

2 This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short title

3 The short title of this Act is the Childcare and Early Years Workforce Strategy Advisory Committee Act, 2024.