10.2 Capacity Building Funding

POLICY 

The Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB will provide Capacity Building funding to approved non-profit child care service providers to support professional learning and development opportunities. These opportunities aim to build the capacity of licensees, supervisor, programs staff/caregivers, home visitors, home child care providers and non- profit volunteer board members to support the provision of high quality programs for children.

Funding may be provided to eligible licensees, agencies that provide early years professional learning (including special needs resourcing agencies), and post-secondary institutions to develop and deliver professional learning opportunities, such as workshops or certificate courses.

PROCEDURE

Capacity Building funding will be calculated based on the following process:

• An amount of funding will be designated for each FTE and multiplied by the total number of FTE’s employed at a child care. 
• The Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB reserves the right to adjust the amount of funds designated to each FTE based on funding pressures and service targets. 
• Based on pressures and available funds, the DSB may continue to consider one-time funding requests. 

Eligible Expenses:

• Professional learning and development opportunities such as workshops, mentoring, coaching, and networks that align with the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014  (CCEYA) regulations and ministry policy. 
• Program-related learning that aligns with the views and approaches outlined in How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years is also eligible, as are initiatives that promote reflective practice and support new regulatory requirements. 
• The establishment of professional learning communities to support early years program staff and development in areas such as business administration, budgeting, leadership, and governance.
• Professional learning and development related to the health, safety, and well-being of children, including nutrition, first aid, environmental health, and communicable diseases. 
• Release time and overtime to support staff participation in learning and development opportunities.
• Travel costs, in accordance with the OPS Travel Directive, are eligible expenses

The Manitoulin- Sudbury DSB as an approved child care delivery agent shall:

• Recover unused funds from service providers.
• Meet service targets before reallocating funds to other child care programming.