2021 Licensed Child Care Salary Survey Results for Niagara
At the beginning of each year, Niagara Region Children's Services sends out a survey to all child care service providers to obtain a snapshot of salaries paid to selected positions in the early learning sector.
This year, 72 child care agencies participated, providing very good representation of salaries in Niagara's system of child care and EarlyON Child and Family Centres.
Children's Services uses this information to help manage the general operating funding to address pressures, fulfill mandatory reporting requirements to the Ministry of Education, and to monitor employment trends in Niagara's child care sector. Child care agencies can use the information as a reference when reviewing and setting their salary rates.
Results
Niagara Region Children's Services ensures access to a coordinated, diverse range of affordable quality services and supports for young children and families.
Overview of system per diems *
The following table summarizes per diems across Niagara's system, including the lowest, highest and average for each care category:
| Infant | Toddler | Preschool | School Age** | Before School | After School | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | $43.00 | $30.50 | $29.50 | $29.50 | $6.50 | $8.50 |
| Maximum | $70.99 | $60.96 | $56.39 | $51.38 | $18.00 | $18.00 |
| Average | $54.48 | $45.89 | $42.06 | $40.34 | $10.66 | $13.58 |
*Table does not include co-ops or nurseries unless they provide full day
**Full day rate for school age children (e.g. Professional Development day)
Registered early childhood educator salaries - seven year trend
The average hourly wage for registered early childhood educators increased by $4.80 (27 per cent) between 2014 and 2021:
2021 and forward
2021 continued to be an unprecedented year in child care and beyond. We want to express our sincere appreciation to all service providers for their continued co-operation and patience as we all navigate the ever changing landscape.
You will notice a slight shift in full-time equivalents in the data above. It's also reasonable to conclude that the transition of child care assistants to registered early childhood educators has contributed to the very slight reduction in the average rate of pay per hour of registered early childhood educators as they gain experience and tenure.
In 2021, we'll continue working with all service providers within the Ontario Management System, OneHSN and Ontario Child Care Management System platforms. This will ensure that we have all the data required to review and distribute required government funding.
Contact
Sarah Glenney
905-980-6000 ext. 3845 or 1-800-263-7215
Email Sarah Glenney
© Niagara Region - 1815 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Thorold, ON, L2V 4T7 - Phone: 905-980-6000, Toll-free: 1-800-263-7215
