Fee subsidy clarification

This will eventually be published in my own paper, but I did have a conversation with the Ministry of Education Thursday regarding my confusion over the fee-subsidy elements of Bill 242. In particular, about these sections in the first reading of the bill:

25. Section 2.2 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:
Contracting authority, school board
(6.2) A school board may enter into an agreement with a delivery agent under subsection (6) regarding the provision of financial assistance to persons who are charged fees in respect of extended day programs and the agreement may provide that the school board has some or all of the powers and duties of the delivery agent that relate to the provision of the financial assistance.
26. Subsection 7.2 (1) of the Act is repealed and the following substituted:
Agreements for provision of services and financial assistance re extended day programs
(1) The Minister may enter into agreements with municipalities, delivery agents or other persons or entities, on the terms and conditions that may be agreed, respecting the provision of,
(a) the prescribed services; and
(b) financial assistance to persons who are charged fees in respect of extended day programs.
27. (1) Subsection 18 (1) of the Act is amended by striking out the portion before clause (a) and substituting the following:
Regulations
(1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations governing the management, operation and use of day nurseries and private-home day care agencies and classes of either of them and premises where private-home day care is provided by a private-home day care agency and governing the provision of financial assistance to persons who are charged fees in respect of extended day programs, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing may make regulations,
. . . . .
(2) Subclause 18 (1) (p) (ii) of the Act is amended by striking out "day nursery or a private-home day care agency" and substituting "day nursery, private-home day care agency or school board".
(3) Clause 18 (1) (q) of the Act is amended by striking out "private-home day care or services provided in a day nursery" and substituting "private-home day care, services provided in a day nursery or extended day programs".
(4) Subsection 18 (1) of the Act is amended by adding the following clauses:
(z.3) governing the application of the provisions of this Act and the regulations to circumstances in which a school board and the Minister enter into an agreement regarding the provision of financial assistance to persons who are charged fees in respect of extended day programs;
(z.4) if the Lieutenant Governor in Council considers it advisable, adapting or modifying the provisions of this Act and the regulations for the purpose of their application to the circumstances referred to in clause (z.3);
(z.5) providing for such transitional matters as the Lieutenant Governor in Council considers advisable relating to the provision of financial assistance for extended day programs.

My understanding based on the conversation-- these clauses are an escape clause for the ministry. If the ministry cannot reach agreement with all of Ontario's municipal service managers on fee-subsidy management for before- and after-school as well as non-instructional PD Day and summertime programs, this would allow boards in those regions to manage this element themselves.
The spokesperson was adamant the education ministry does not want to take away from a 'one-window' approach for fee subsidies, and confident agreements could be reached in time to make this clause redundant in time for the programs to begin this fall.
Now, we know.