Region of Waterloo to gain hundreds of new childcare spaces

Waterloo Region is adding hundreds of new childcare spaces, but it’s still not enough to meet demand. CTV’s Ashley Bacon explains.

Relief could be coming for parents and guardians who are struggling to find daycare for their children.

In a news release on Wednesday, the Region of Waterloo announced the Ministry of Education has allocated 411 new childcare spaces for the area under the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) agreement, funded by the provincial and federal governments.

Children’s Services for the Region of Waterloo will also receive $7,902,660 in infrastructure and startup funding to create the new spaces in the hopes of lowering the cost of daycare to an average of $10 per day by 2026.

A report presented to the region’s Community and Health Services Committee on Tuesday notes, even with the additional funding, demand for childcare will continue to far exceed available spaces.

“Before CWELCC, the waitlist in Waterloo Region for licensed childcare was around 5,600 children – now it is over 13,000 children, of which 8,700 indicate they are looking for care immediately,” the report said.

Local childcare providers react

Although the funding is welcome news to many, the growing number of children waiting for a space continues to cause concern.

“The reality is that it will not meet the demand,” Barb Cardow, the Region of Waterloo’s Director of Children’s Services, said.

“More investment will be needed into the childcare system to address the true need, for licensed childcare in our community and others.”

Local operators said there were also other factors preventing them from welcoming in more children.

“I know there are three large programs opening this September,” Lori Prospero, CEO of Rising Oaks Early Learning Ontario, explained. “We’re all kind of competing for staff right now. So it definitely is challenging and we need to continue to work on retention first and then recruitment of early childhood educators.”

“There are childcare navigators available in this region who can help families who are really struggling and have urgent needs for childcare but just know that we are working with our partners and doing our best to create new spaces as soon as we can,” she said.