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CWELCC guide · 2026 guidelines
2026 wage floors, WEG and workforce compensation, explained.
In 2026 the CWELCC wage floor is $25.86 an hour for RECE program staff and $26.86 for RECE supervisors and RECE home child care visitors. Workforce funding is reconciled separately from program costs, and it is recovered if it was not paid to staff the way the guideline requires.
The numbers for 2026
Floors, ceilings and allowances.
| Amount | Item |
|---|---|
| $25.86 / hr | Wage floor, RECE program staff |
| $26.86 / hr | Wage floor, RECE supervisors and RECE home child care visitors |
| Up to $2 / hr | Wage Enhancement Grant (WEG), to a ceiling of $33.81 an hour |
| Up to $4 / hr | Workforce compensation annual increase, if the base wage plus GOF plus WEG together are still below $28 (program staff) or $31 (supervisors) |
| 4 hrs / month | Paid planning time, for program staff working at least 20 hours a week in a consistent classroom or cohort |
| $500 / FTE | Professional learning, up to |
| $22 / day | Parent base fee cap — the lower of $22 or the reduced fee charged on December 31, 2024. Before- and after-school kindergarten and school-age rates are set separately |
Why the order matters
Each layer is calculated on the result of the one before it. Applying them out of order overstates what the Region owes, and it shows up at reconciliation as a recovery.
The steps on this page follow section 5.3 of Peel Region's 2026 centre-based guideline. Other Regions follow the same provincial order.
The order of operations
Six layers, applied in sequence.
Start with the employer-paid wage
The base wage the employer paid as of December 31, 2025.
Add GOF wage enhancements
The general operating funding hourly enhancements carried from 2024.
Add the Wage Enhancement Grant
Up to $2 an hour, to a ceiling of $33.81.
RECEs: add the workforce compensation increase
Up to $4 an hour, if the total is still below $28 for program staff or $31 for supervisors.
RECEs: apply the wage floor
$25.86 for program staff, or $26.86 for supervisors and home child care visitors.
Add the wage stability amount
Where it applies to your centre.
Payroll rules that get tested
What the Region checks on your pay stubs.
- Every cheque. Enhancements are paid each pay period, not saved for a year-end lump sum.
- Shown separately. Pay stubs show the enhancement lines separately from base wages.
- Eligible staff only. Floors apply to RECE program staff and supervisors; WEG has its own eligibility list. Track non-RECE and ineligible hours separately.
- Benefits follow wages, up to a point. Mandatory employer costs on the enhancement (CPP, EI, vacation pay, EHT, WSIB) are part of the claim, but workforce compensation funding covers benefits only up to 17.5% — which includes two weeks of vacation and nine statutory days. Keep the calculation; an unqualified claim is a recovery.
- Tell staff in writing. Peel asks for staff notices by January 30 and proof by February 13.
At year-end
The T4s, the payroll register and the workforce lines in the Region's return have to agree. If an employee left mid-year, changed roles or registered with the College of ECEs part-way through, document the date, because eligibility changes on that date.
Quick answers
What operators ask about wages.
What is the CWELCC wage floor in 2026?
$25.86 an hour for RECE program staff and $26.86 an hour for RECE supervisors and RECE home child care visitors.
Does the wage floor apply to non-RECE staff?
No. The floors are for RECE program staff, supervisors and home child care visitors. Non-RECE staff may still qualify for the Wage Enhancement Grant, and staff have to qualify for WEG before they qualify for workforce compensation.
Can we pay above the ceiling?
Yes, from the centre's own budget. Funding only covers up to the ceiling.
What if we underpaid during the year?
Correct it through payroll before December 31 where possible, with retroactive pay shown on the stub. Unpaid workforce funding is recovered, not carried forward.
Source: Peel Region 2026 CWELCC centre-based guideline, sections 5.3 to 5.7 and 6; Halton Region April 2026 CWELCC guideline. Amounts are provincial, but eligibility wording and reporting differ by service manager. General information for Ontario licensed child care operators, not advice for your centre. See also the reconciliation, step by step.
Want payroll that already meets the rules?
Call 647-870-8498 or email info@ghayurtax.com. We run childcare payroll with the enhancements in the right order, every cheque.