EXCERPTS
The City of Toronto is authorized by the Province of Ontario to provide emergency child care for children of essential and critical service workers.
The service is provided at no costs to families, funded by the Province of Ontario, for children from birth to age 12. Services will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Centres are located across Toronto in existing City-run licensed child care facilities and staffed by City of Toronto child care workers.
Eligibility
Emergency child care services are reserved exclusively for children of essential service workers who have no other alternatives. The safest option for your family is to have children remain at home if at all possible
The City of Toronto’s emergency child care spaces are available to workers identified in the Province of Ontario’s list of workers eligible for emergency childcare. You must be required to report to an official work location to deliver the service, without the ability to work from home. City staff required to report to an official work location to deliver core essential services are also eligible. This includes:
- Toronto Public Health
- Long-Term Care
- Shelter, Support and Housing Administration
- Toronto Water: treatment, supply and distribution of safe drinking water; wastewater collection, pumping and treatment; stormwater collection and management
- Solid Waste: collection; transfer stations; haulage operations
- TTC: service delivery: bus, streetcar, subway and Wheel-Trans; infrastructure maintenance; transit control; and essential business functions to support continuity of operations
- Key staff required for the continuity of government as determined by the City’s Emergency Operations Centre.
This list of eligible workers may change as the emergency evolves and will be updated as required.
The City reserves the right to ask for verification as proof of eligibility.
Child care is available to Toronto residents, and those that live outside Toronto but work in the city as an eligible worker as defined by the Province of Ontario.
Determining Priority Access for Emergency Child Care
Due to limited spaces, the City will commit to child care spaces for eligible families on a first come, first served basis.
If the level of demand exceeds the City’s ability to provide care, the City will prioritize child care space for front-line health care workers (including Toronto Public Health and Long-Term Care) and first responders.
Emergency child care services are reserved exclusively for children of essential service workers who have no other alternatives. Please complete the online application to apply for emergency child care. After you apply, you will be contacted by Toronto Children’s Services staff if space is available.
Space is limited. Eligible applicants will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.
Current Emergency Child Care Locations
The following centres are available for emergency child care:
East
Malvern Early Learning and Child Care, 1321 Neilson Rd. (Sewells/Neilson)
Central
Jesse Ketchum Early Learning and Child Care, 7 Berryman St. (Davenport/Bay)
West
Thomas Berry Early Learning and Child Care, 3495 Lake Shore Blvd. W. (Lake Shore Blvd W./Thirtieth St)
North
Falstaff Early Learning and Child Care, 10 Falstaff Ave. (Jane/Wilson)
Health and Safety of Child Care Staff and Families
Because physical distancing is difficult when caring for young children, additional measures will be taken, in consultation with Toronto Public Health and Occupational Health and Safety, to maintain a healthy and safe environment. Precautions include:
- daily screening of children and staff
- increased disinfection
- reduced group sizes
- limiting the number of people in the centre
Information for Community Licensed Child Care Centres
The centres will be in existing City-run child care facilities and operated and staffed by City of Toronto licensed child care workers. If required, the City will work closely with our provincial and community partners to determine how this service may be expanded to include other licensed child care centres.