Emergency child care available for school-aged children of designated essential service workers in Toronto

Beginning January 10, emergency child care services are available at no cost to eligible families who qualify as essential workers and who are not able to accommodate their school-aged child’s care at home.

Eligible families may apply directly to the emergency child care provider of their choice. Forty child care centres and seven licensed home child care agencies are approved to provide emergency child care. For more information on emergency child care, visit https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-latest-city-of-toronto-news/affected-city-services/covid-19-emergency-child-care-for-essential-workers/

Numerous services include fire, police, paramedic and court services are on the province’s list of eligible workers posted to the ECC website.

Four City-operated child care centres and four Toronto Home Child Care Agencies have been approved by the Province of Ontario to provide emergency child care. They are:

• Shoreham Early Learning & Child Care Centre, 31 Shoreham Dr. (Jane Street and Finch Avenue)
• Taylor Creek Early Learning & Child Care Centre, 644 Warden Ave. (Warden Avenue and St. Clair Avenue  East)
• Chester Le Early Learning & Child Care Centre, 201 Chester Le Blvd. (Victoria Park Avenue and Finch Avenue East)
• O’Connor Satellite Early Learning & Child Care Centre, 1665 O’Connor Dr. (Victoria Park Avenue and O’Connor Drive)

In total, there are more than 40 approved emergency child care providers across the city, including four City-operated child care centres and four Toronto Home Child Care agencies, which will be offering emergency child care services.

Essential workers who require emergency child care during this period are encouraged to verify whether they meet the Provincial eligibility requirements. The list of eligible workers is available at: www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/200263#BK8.

If they meet these requirements, designated essential workers may contact an emergency child care provider from the provincially-approved list directly to register their child(ren) for care. Emergency child care programs will adhere to all requirements set out in the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 and all current Ministry of Education and Toronto Public Health guidance. More information regarding emergency child care, including the current list of operators providing this service, is available at: www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/affected-city-services/covid-19-emergency-child-care-for-essential-workers/.

Emergency child care services are reserved exclusively for children of essential service workers identified in the Province’s list of essential workers eligible for emergency child care who have no other alternatives. The safest option for families is to have children remain at home, if possible.

During the period between Wednesday, January 5 to Monday, January 17:

• child care programs for infants, toddlers and preschoolers will operate as usual
• home child care programs are permitted to provide child care to kindergarten and school-aged children
• there will be no child care programs for kindergarten and school-aged children operating in child care centres
• child care providers not operating during this period are prohibited from charging fees during this time and parents will not lose their child care space(s).

The City’s website is updated regularly with the latest health advice and information about City services, social supports and economic recovery measures. Check www.toronto.ca/covid-19/ for answers to common questions before contacting the Toronto Public Health COVID-19 Hotline or 311.