Services
Expertises
Resources
Who we are
Contact us
Open

9.1 — Employment and training start up benefit and up front child care costs

Employment and child care support

Offered by
Government of Ontario

Source change captured

Funding available
$ 500
Deadline
Open continuously
Location
Ontario, Canada
Who can apply
Recipient
See full eligibility

Overview

Ontario’s Employment and Training Start-Up Benefit (ESUB), Participation Benefit – ESUB, and Up-Front Child Care Benefit support eligible members of the benefit unit with work-related and child care costs. Eligible members may receive up to $500 in any 12-month period, and child care costs must be required in advance.

At a glance

Funding available

Maximum funding
$500
Financing goals
  • Develop workforce skills
  • Train or support volunteers
  • Start a business

Eligible candidates

Location
  • Ontario
Eligible Industries
All industries
Annual revenue
All revenue ranges
Organisation size
All organization sizes
Audience
  • Persons with Disabilities
Legal structures
All legal structures

Start applying for this program

Take a practical assessment to gain a clear understanding of how well this program aligns with your specific needs and long-term goals.

Availability timeline

2026
Periods: 1

Latest changes

Ontario disability support directive updated with participation benefit

The Ontario directive now adds the participation benefit for integrated employment services settings and revises eligibility, eligible costs, and ineligible-person rules.

See more

The April 2026 version of Directive 9.1 now includes a new participation benefit for integrated employment services settings, where eligible members can receive up to $500 per 12-month period. It also adds new eligible-cost categories, limits on stacking with other supports, and a new ineligible-persons section, while the existing start-of-employment and child care advance benefits remain described with the same $500 per 12-month cap and 12-month payment framework. The updated policy also changes the supporting-document language and where confirmation requirements apply, including revised wording for written attestations and provider notifications. The page now distinguishes between integrated and non-integrated service settings, which changes who can receive the benefit and what activities and costs qualify.

Official source: ontario.ca
July 8, 2026

Eligibility

Who is eligible?

  • Recipient
  • Spouse included in the benefit unit
  • Dependent adult who is not attending secondary school full time
  • Dependent child who has received their secondary school diploma or equivalent

Who is not eligible

  • Dependent child who has not received their secondary school diploma or equivalent
  • Dependent adult who is attending secondary school full time, unless they are starting employment within fifteen days from the date of leaving or completing school and provide appropriate verification

Eligible expenses

  • Transportation costs related to preparing for, finding or starting a job
  • Clothing for a job interview or work clothes and uniforms required for a new job
  • License or association fees, Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC) exam fee, post-secondary application fees, and grooming costs
  • Cost of eyeglasses, including lenses and frames, and repairs to eyeglasses for dependent adults
  • Tools and equipment required for training or a job, and up-front child care costs required to be paid in advance

Activities funded

  • Beginning, changing or maintaining employment, including full-time, part-time, casual or self-employment
  • Beginning, changing or maintaining an employment assistance activity under the Ontario Works Act, 1997
  • Beginning a formal program of employment-related training, including the on-the-job portion of a training program or moving from unpaid job-training to paid work
  • Job search, job interviews, volunteering to prepare for employment, and other activities approved by the Director to help a person become and stay employed
  • In IES sites, approved activities that address barriers to employment and move the ODSP recipient and eligible family members closer to employment services

How to apply

  • Step 1: Confirm the employment or approved activity
    • Gather proof of work, training, or other approved employment-related activity.
    • Identify the costs that are needed to begin, change, or maintain the activity.
  • Step 2: Provide written verification
    • Submit documents that confirm the employment or approved activity.
    • For child care support, provide proof that payment is required in advance.
  • Step 3: Request the benefit
    • Ask for the employment and training start-up benefit or up-front child care benefit through ODSP income support.
    • Wait for the Director's decision on eligibility and payment amount.

Documents Needed

  • Written verification of employment, self-employment, or another approved activity
  • Pay stub
  • Letter of employment from an employer or potential employer
  • Notification from an employment service provider, a caseworker determination, or any document that verifies the activity
  • Verification that child care must be paid in advance, for Up-Front Child Care Benefit requests

Selection criteria

  • Reasonable necessity of the costs
  • Verification of employment or approved activity
  • Director approval of the activity, where required
  • Need for advance child care payment, where applicable

Processing and Agreement

  • Written verification must be on file to support the decision and the amount paid
  • In IES sites, caseworkers must monitor the allocation of the Participation Benefit – ESUB and financial supports from employment service providers to identify and address issues or duplication
  • If a recipient is later determined ineligible for ODSP during the period they received ESUB or the Participation Benefit – ESUB, the amount issued during that period may be included in the overpayment calculation

Additional information

  • If a benefit or resource is available elsewhere in the community, it must be accessed before these employment and participation benefits, which are not intended to top up existing maximums from social assistance or other programs.

Contacts

416-325-5666

Official sources

Program guide

9.1 - Employment and training start up benefit, the Participation Benefit and up front child care costs
Add helloDarwin as a preferred source on Google

Frequently Asked Questions about the 9.1 — Employment and training start up benefit and up front child care costs Program

What is the 9.1 — Employment and training start up benefit and up front child care costs?

Ontario’s Employment and Training Start-Up Benefit (ESUB), Participation Benefit – ESUB, and Up-Front Child Care Benefit support eligible members of the benefit unit with work-related and child care costs. Eligible members may receive up to $500 in any 12-month period, and child care costs must be required in advance.

How much funding can be received?

9.1 — Employment and training start up benefit and up front child care costs Funds up to $500 of admissible expenses.

What is the deadline to apply?

The program is accepting continuous intake

Who is eligible for the 9.1 — Employment and training start up benefit and up front child care costs program?

To be eligible for the 9.1 — Employment and training start up benefit and up front child care costs program, you must: Eligible members of the benefit unit Costs must be reasonably necessary For Up-Front Child Care Benefit, child care must be required in advance in the Director’s opinion

What expenses are eligible under 9.1 — Employment and training start up benefit and up front child care costs?

Transportation costs related to preparing for, finding or starting a job Clothing for a job interview or work clothes and uniforms required for a new job License or association fees, Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC) exam fee, post-secondary application fees, and grooming costs Cost of eyeglasses, including lenses and frames, and repairs to eyeglasses for dependent adults Tools and equipment required for training or a job, and up-front child care costs required to be paid in advance

Who can I contact for more information about the 9.1 — Employment and training start up benefit and up front child care costs?

You can contact Government of Ontario or by phone at 416-325-5666.

Where is the 9.1 — Employment and training start up benefit and up front child care costs available?

The 9.1 — Employment and training start up benefit and up front child care costs program is available the province of Ontario.