EXCERPTED
Child care for health care and frontline staff
Learn about emergency child care for health care and other frontline staff working to stop the spread of COVID-19. Select child care centres are allowed to open during the outbreak.
- About emergency child care
- Eligibility
- Find an emergency child care centre
- Criteria for a child care centre to open
About emergency child care
Some health care and frontline workers can send their children to emergency child care while they are at work. Find out if you are eligible to send your child to emergency child care. Licensed child care centres were legally required to close on March 17, 2020 when Ontario ordered a declaration of emergency. The Ministry of Education has been working with service system managers and First Nations to open select emergency child care centres to support health care and other frontline workers.This is in partnership with service system managers and First Nations partners.
Eligibility
The following people are eligible for emergency child care:
- regulated and unregulated health care providers; for example, doctors, nurses, paramedics, personal support workers
- police officers and members of a police force other than a police officer, as defined in the Police Services Act
- firefighters and those engaged in providing fire protection services or employed in a fire department, as defined under section 1 of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997
- coroners
- those working in correctional institutions, including those working in the Institutional Services Division or Community Services Division, and other justice-related settings (as determined by municipalities), including those employed in a place of secure custody or a place of secure temporary detention
- animal welfare inspectors
- Employees of Compass Group Canada Ltd. who work at or provide services in relation to the Cook Chill Food Production Centre
- Individuals employed in the Direct Operated Facilities Branch of the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS)
- those performing work that is essential to the delivery of core services in their communities, as determined by the municipality or First Nation
- those working in emergency child care settings
Find an emergency child care centre
Municipal service system managers and First Nations have plans approved to open select child care centres.To get more details about registration, health care and other frontline workers can contact their local Child Care Service System Managers, known as Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSMs) and District Social Services Administration Boards (DSSABs). They manage child care services across the province.This list will be updated as more plans are approved.
Wellington
Wellington Home Child Care
Oshawa
Lakewoods Early Learning and Child Care Centre
353 Chaleur
Oshawa, Ontario
L1J 1G5
Durham
Ajax Early Learning and Child Care Centre
22 Centennial
Ajax, Ontario
L1S 3K4Pickering Early Learning and Child Care Centre
1262 Radom
Pickering, Ontario
L1W 1J4Whitby Early Learning and Child Care Centre
501 Dunlop
Whitby, Ontario
L1N 1S8Edna Thompson Early Learning and Child Care Centre
410 North Scugog
Bowmanville, Ontario
L1C 3K2Circles in the SunWee Watch Enriched Home Child Care WhitbyWee Watch Enriched Home Child Care Oshawa EastWee Watch Enriched Home Child Care Ajax/Pickering
Niagara
Wee Watch Licensed Child Care Niagara
Hamilton
Today's Family Private Home DaycareGolfwood Day Care Services Inc. (Wee Watch)Wee Watch Private Home Day Care – Stoney Creek
Peterborough
Compass Early Learning and Care HCC AgencyWee Watch Private Home Day Care – Peterborough
Cornwall
City of Cornwall Home Child Care Agency
VariousUnited County of Leeds & GrenvilleK.A.F.R.C. – South Branch Infant / Toddler ProgramKemptville Area Family Resource Centre
2655 Concession Road
Kemptville, Ontario
K0G 1J0
Timiskaming
Keepers of the Circle New Liskeard
421 Shepherdson Rd.
New Liskeard, Ontario
P0J 1P0Keepers of the Circle Kirkland Lake
109 Burnside Drive
P.O. Box 102
Kirkland Lake, Ontario
P2N 2V5Centre pour enfants Timiskaming Child Care HHCA
Toronto
Falstaff Early Learning & Child Care
10 Falstaff Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M6L 2C7Jesse Ketchum Early Learning & Child Care
7 Berryman Street
Toronto,
M5R 1M7Thomas Berry Early Learning & Child Care
3495 Lakeshore Blvd West
Toronto,
M8W 1N5Malvern Early Learning & Child Care
1321 Neilson, Toronto
M1B 3C2
Halton
Little Leaders PHDCHalton Daycare ServicesWee Watch MiltonWee Watch Oakville – Bronte Day Care Services Inc.Today's Family Private Home DaycareFriendly Faces Day Care Services Inc.
Criteria for a child care centre to open
Before opening its doors to provide emergency child care to support health care and other frontline workers, a child care centre must adhere to strict measures and criteria.The child care centre:
- must be an existing child care centre
- must meet all requirements set out in the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014
- must follow all current ministry policies and guidelines. The ministry will consider amending licenses as needed to support mixed-age groupings
- must consult the local Medical Officer of Health, who must be supportive of all settings established
- must have a plan or protocol in place in the event that a child, parent or staff member at the site is exposed to COVID-19
- cannot have more than 50 people in the location at one time, including children, employees, parents and guardians. This number may change as the pandemic situation evolves
- must be thoroughly cleaned every day and before opening
- must not allow visitors to enter the centre
For more information about how to become an emergency child care provider, please contact your local Consolidated Municipal Service Managers and District Social Services Administration Boards.