While parents eagerly await reaping the benefits of Ontario's deal with the federal government to provide $10-a-day childcare, what parents may not know is that the program is not mandatory.

Amy O'Neill, who runs the Treetop Children's Centre in Toronto, said many operators are unsure whether they will choose to opt into the program or not.

"We can't make a decision based on the information we currently have because we don't know what it means for the quality of care. O'Neill says, "We don’t know what it means for the workforce in terms of wages."

Childcare operators received a 74-page document from the Ministry of Education in April at the time of the deal, outlining the funding rules, which many say is filled with confusing language, many gray areas, and raises more questions than answers.

Jennifer Brown, owner of La Petite École in Bloor West Village, says the province seems to be proposing a model that may not be financially viable for many private operators.

Brown says, "We have expenses that the model outlined in the document may not cover."

While reasonable rents will be covered, Brown explains that things like mortgages, debt interest, and property taxes are explicitly excluded from funding.

On the other hand, the quality of care is another concern.

There is little information on the base fees that will be covered, and many operators offer rich programs, which parent's fees currently help pay for.

Brown says she offers French as a second language and has specially trained teachers. She also notes that materials for daycares have been excluded from add-ons.

Kidz Kove is an independent daycare center in the Peel region, and its owner Sharon Siribo fears the province’s model will create a two-tier system.

Siribo says, "You will feel there is a gap in low-income communities, and they will be on a waiting list." "There will be no spots available for families if that’s not reviewed."

The Ministry of Education reported that "operators have been informed of the program details for several weeks. The province has issued funding allocations to municipalities and strongly encourages municipal partners to work as quickly as possible with childcare operators to get this money into parents' pockets. Operators first need to apply to the program, and the funds will flow from the municipalities."

At the same time, many parents feel let down by the promise of a $10-a-day childcare deal.

Robin Fanby’s three-year-old daughter attends a daycare in East Toronto. She says she understands why an operator might opt out of the program but adds that if that happens, she will have no choice but to continue paying the full rate.

Fanby said, "There are no spots anywhere. We’ve been on a waiting list for two years, and there are no private or other spots currently."

Her husband, Mark, says what is happening now is not fair.

He adds, "When I pay $1,600 a month, and someone else pays $300, that is not fair."

Now daycare operators have until September 1 to make a decision.

Edited by: Dima Abu Khair