2026 Summer Child Care Subsidy Program for School-age Children

Press Release

March 9, 2026

The Métis Nation of Ontario’s Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Program and Services team is excited to announce enhancements to the Summer Child Care Subsidy Program to help families with school-age children access high-quality child care or day camp during the summer months.

The program is for Métis families who need child care for their school-aged children when schools are closed during the summer. This program covers the mandatory cost of child care or camp and, at this time, does not include specialized additional fees such as programming, application costs, clothing, equipment or materials, day trips/excursions, or food. The unique program calculates a subsidy based on a family’s income and expenses.

Families can choose the summer child care program that best meets their needs, including day camps and licensed child care, and can combine child care and camp locations. Families only require one full week of child care over the summer holiday period (late June-Labour Day weekend) to access the program.

Application opens: March 9, 2026 at 9a.m. EST

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the MNO Summer Child Care Subsidy Program:

• One parent or guardian, or child, must be an MNO citizen eligible under the MNO’s direct benefits policy.
• Applicants must have a child who has completed Junior Kindergarten-Grade 6 by June 2026.
• Children must be attending a child care environment that is one of the following:
  • Licensed child care
  • Forest School
  • Day camp run by a municipality, post-secondary institution, or school board
  • Day camps run by community organizations such as the YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, etc.
  • Day camps run by non-profit organizations, for example, La Clé
  • Full-day camp run by sports associations, clubs, or groups, for example, soccer or golf camp.
  • Day camp run by museums, such as Science North
• Children must attend at least one whole week of camp between June 22, 2026, and September 4, 2026.
• The child care or camp must be for full-day child care.
• Applicants and children must reside permanently in Ontario.
• The camp or child care must be in Ontario.

Families can complete the application before enrolling in camps and submit camp receipts throughout the summer. Applicants are required to provide their 2024 Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessments for all parents/guardians in the household or the 2025 CRA Canadian Child Benefit notice that shows household income.

Please note that summer day camp or child care costs can only be reimbursed through the Summer Child Care Subsidy Program. The Extra Curricular Program no longer supports summer child care. The Extra-Curricular Program will support both half-day and overnight camps.

Application portal closes on October 3, 2026, at 4:30p.m. EST. Families who do not apply by this deadline or do not meet the eligibility reauirements can apply to the extra curricular support program.

All Métis families who meet the qualifications are encouraged to apply using the button below.

For more information, please reach out elccsupport@metisnation.org and include the region you live in.

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