Halton Region offering emergency child care to health care and frontline workers during remote learning

News 100 redBy Staff

April 18th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

When the Ministry of Education announced that students would return to on-line learning when the Spring Break ended on April 19th, thousands of parents who are part of the front line that keeps the wheels moving suddenly had to find support in finding some way to care for their children and keep them in school at the same time.

child care

In today’s environment these children would be wearing masks. The Region is working at getting the help needed by the frontline workers.

In response to the Province’s announcement and decision to move all Ontario students to remote learning following the April break, Halton Region has partnered with the Ministry of Education and select operators in Burlington, Georgetown, Milton and Oakville to provide emergency child care services.

The spaces will be available full day starting Monday, April 19 for eligible health care and frontline workers with children aged four to 12 who are registered for school in Halton.

“Our health care and frontline workers continue to make significant sacrifices to respond to the pandemic and keep our community safe, “said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “We will keep doing whatever it takes to make sure that these critical workers are supported throughout this time. I want to thank our Children Services team, the Province and all of our partners for working to ensure that these workers have access to child care services while elementary schools are closed to in-person learning.”

The targeted emergency child care spaces are fully funded by the Province to eligible health care and frontline workers who may not be able to support their child(ren)’s learning/care at home and who have no other child care alternatives. Child care for infants up to four years of age will remain open.

supermarket worker

The people working retail and those working in the medical sector need help. The Region is supplying whatever space they can find. Will it b enough?

To apply for emergency child care, eligible workers are asked to contact one of the approved emergency child care operators directly. If you have previously applied for targeted emergency child care you will need to reapply. Spaces are limited and will be filled in order of the applications received.

Halton Region Public Health is working closely with the Ministry of Education to open these child care spaces and are taking extra measures to maintain a safe and healthy environment, including daily screening of children and staff and regular cleaning and disinfecting of frequently touched objects and surfaces.

For more details on targeted emergency child care, eligibility criteria and to view the list of approved emergency child care operators in Halton, please visit our Child care Services webpage or call 311.

The link to that page on the Regional web site is HERE

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2 comments to Halton Region offering emergency child care to health care and frontline workers during remote learning

  • Diane Knox

    Yes a welcomed solution to child care for our Frontline Workers and my Thanks to those who will work in doors to make this happen. Meanwhile , Now these New “Essential Workers” in Child care and the Education Workers who will provide the same for our vulnerable children in Special Ed. are struggling to get the appts. for a Vaccine. We now have another group of Frontline Workers of 20-50 workers at Risk. Time for a re think on Priorities for Ontario?

  • As it should . We must support our essential workers. On the other hand there are non-essenitial workers we know (three adults in the home) with a nanny travelling by bus to their home to look after their kids 9-5 etc. that dhould not be allowed but cannot find any source of is it allowed or is it not allowed. We understood if not an essential worker stay at home!