Child Care and Early Years Service System Plan Approved by Ottawa City Council

On April 30, 2025, City Council approved the Child Care and Early Years Service System Plan for 2025 to 2029, following approval at the City's Community Services Committee on April 22, 2025.

The Service System Plan is a road map for the next five years that guides the planning and delivery of local early learning and child care (ELCC) services, ensuring programs are responsive to the needs of children 0 to 12 years old and their families. It establishes a shared vision, a five-year strategy statement, eight guiding principles, eight strategic priorities, and 55 actions (with outcomes). The Service System Plan aims to simplify access for children and families, reduce barriers and systemic inequities, and offer opportunities to come together for meaningful reconciliation in support of strengthening the ELCC sector. 

Children’s Services would like to thank the ELCC sector for their willingness to contribute to the new plan. Your participation, engagement, feedback and support – during times of unprecedented change in the sector - were integral to reaching this important milestone. Including diverse voices and perspectives from both service providers and families that have historically been underserved or disconnected from the formal ELCC system was a key goal during the community consultations. Thank you for the many thoughtful contributions and the commitment shown to this process.  

You can find the Service System Plan here: Child Care and Early Years Service System Plan (2025-2029).

To read more about what we heard from Service Providers and families, please refer to the following "What We Heard" Reports: