Ontario Says Parents Can Expect 'Direct Payments' Toward Tutoring As Part Of 2022 Budget

Parents in Ontario could be getting some money straight from the provincial government sometime soon.

On Tuesday, August 9, the Ontario government announced a couple of changes that have been made to the budget this year, including their plan to provide students with direct tutoring support to help "fill in the gaps" in their schooling over the pandemic.

The province first launched the tutoring program back in April 2022. But now, Ontario said they are investing $225 million for "direct payments to parents" to help support their kids with their learning.

How exactly the direct payments will be sent, who is eligible for the program, or when families can expect this money in their pockets to come has not yet been determined.

"We will have more details in the year on how families can access this new support," Finance minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said during a press conference on August 9.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance told Narcity that the Ontario government is currently looking into the ways they can "best deliver" the money to parents and students.

"The goal will be to ensure these additional funds provide parents with greater flexibility over how to support their children's specific needs," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

On top of the direct tutoring supports, the provincial government also shared that they would be giving a slight increase to the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) payments starting this September.

Low-income families or those living with a disability can expect a 5% increase from what they normally get, which Ontario says was done in order to accommodate the rising costs of inflation.