SWOX council endorses operator for childcarecentre within proposed new municipal office

Debbie Kasman, Tillsonburg Post Correspondent

At its regular council meeting on May 5, South West Oxford (SWOX) council endorsed Oxford Community Child Care Inc. (OCCC) for the operation of a childcare centre within the proposed new municipal office, library, and childcare facility in Mount Elgin.

Four expressions of interest were received from qualified childcare operators: Canturberry (based out of Alberta), Oxford Community Child Care, Tillsonburg Little School, and Today’s Family.

The chief administrative officer, treasurer, and clerk reviewed and scored the submissions following the criteria outlined in the Request for Proposal (RFP). Based on the evaluation process, OCCC was identified as the highest ranked proponent.

OCCC is a well-established, non-profit organization formed in 1987 and governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The organization provides a range of services across Oxford County, including licensed centre-based care, home child care, preschool, and school-age programming.

The evaluation team identified key strengths in OCCC’s proposal such as extensive experience delivering licensed child care services within Oxford County and surrounding rural communities, strong organizational governance, sound financial practices, a demonstrated stable financial position, a qualified and experienced staff team with appropriate certifications and ongoing professional development practices, demonstrated commitment to high-quality early learning environments and positive outcomes for children and families.

OCCC’s proposal includes the provision of licensed childcare spaces for infants, toddlers, preschool-aged children, kindergarten-aged children, and school-age children (before and after school care).

OCCC has proposed an annual rent payment to the township of $69,000, inclusive of utilities, to be indexed annually. The proposed parent fee structure is based on anticipated funding through the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) program, reflecting reduced daily rates ranging from approximately $20.77 to $22.00 per day, with before and after school care ranging from $12.00 to $24.75 per day, and $42.00 per day for school-age children on non-instructional days.

OCCC has advised that in the event CWELCC funding is not available, the proposed child care centre would remain viable; however, adjustments to the financial structure and fee model would be required to align with market rates, which could impact affordability and initial enrolment.

OCCC has also confirmed a willingness to explore an arrangement to provide priority access to childcare spaces for township staff, consistent with similar arrangements in other municipalities.

Staff will now proceed with negotiations to develop a Memorandum of Understanding with OCCC. Any final agreement is subject to future council approval.