Ontario Investing $26 Million to Train More Frontline Long‑Term Care Staff
The Ontario government has announced more than $26 million in new funding to train nearly 3,000 additional frontline long‑term care staff, support professional development, and enhance the quality of care for residents. Announced in Whitby on January 6, 2026, the investment is designed to let many students study and work in their home communities, strengthening local workforces while improving services for seniors.
- 01Ontario Investing $26 Million to Train More Frontline Long‑Term Care Staff
- 02
- 03Supporting Professional Growth Fund: $15.5M in 2025–26
- 04Living Classrooms: $21M for PSW and PN training
- 05How the Living Classroom model improves training
- 06Part of Ontario’s wider plan to fix long-term care
- 07Better care, better careers in long‑term care
Supporting Professional Growth Fund: $15.5M in 2025–26
A key part of this investment is an additional $5.5 million for the Supporting Professional Growth Fund, bringing total funding for 2025–26 to $15.5 million. This fund helps train and upskill staff already working in long-term care homes and has supported the professional development of more than 92,000 eligible staff since 2022, helping them advance their careers and deliver better resident care.
Living Classrooms: $21M for PSW and PN training
Ontario will invest $21 million to expand the Living Classrooms model, which integrates education directly into long‑term care homes and adds new practical nurse (PN) Living Classrooms. Through this expansion, the province expects to train nearly 3,000 personal support workers (PSWs) and registered practical nurses (RPNs) by 2029, allowing more students to learn and work where they live.
How the Living Classroom model improves training
Unlike traditional PSW and RPN programs where students first complete classroom work and then move to clinical placements, Living Classrooms blend in‑class learning with on‑site practice inside a long‑term care home. Students alternate between theory sessions (delivered in or near the home) and hands‑on experience with residents, building real‑world skills and stronger connections to local employers.
Part of Ontario’s wider plan to fix long-term care
This new $26 million package builds on Ontario’s $4.9 billion four‑year staffing plan, which has already added tens of thousands of PSWs and nurses across the province. Since 2021, daily direct care from nurses and PSWs has increased by more than an hour per resident, a 36% increase equivalent to 15 extra days of care per resident each year, supported by recent investments such as $180 million to boost nursing in long-term care and nearly $60 million to expand nursing enrolment at colleges and universities.
Better care, better careers in long‑term care
The province’s long‑term care plan is built on four pillars: staffing and care, quality and enforcement, building modern homes, and connecting seniors with faster access to services. For residents and families, the latest investment is expected to improve staffing stability and quality of life, while for workers and students it creates more funded seats, on‑site education options, and career incentives to build long‑term careers in long‑term care and home and community care sectors.
About Author
