Northumberland County says work is continuing to open 181 new spaces at licensed child-care centres later this year.
Focus areas previously identified as high-priority areas include Port Hope, Trent Hills and Cobourg.
However, growing demand is recognized countywide, and the goal is to add 400-plus spaces by 2026.
County council received an update at the social services committee level on Wednesday about plans to open the 181 new spaces this year.
According to a county release, the expansion effort – funded in part by Canada and Ontario – aims to address the shortage of spaces in those three high-priority areas, ensuring more area families have access to quality care for kids close to home. The expansion includes a reported 119 new spaces in Port Hope, the addition of 47 new spaces in Trent Hills, and 15 new spaces in Cobourg.
“We have recently seen a surge in demand for licensed childcare in Northumberland,” noted Lesley Patterson, the county’s Early Years’ manager. “In 2023, we experienced a 60 per cent increase in the waitlist for licensed child-care spaces, with approximately 3,000 families currently on the waitlist.”
“To help address this critical need in our community, Northumberland County is aiming to introduce 404 new, high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and child-care spaces in our community by 2026, in alignment with provincial targets identified through the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system,” explained Patterson.
In partnership with the Municipality of Port Hope, Northumberland County also said it is pursuing renovations to the Ruth Clarke Activity Centre for Seniors building and Canton Hub to introduce two new child-care locations. Since the expansion of the Town Park Recreation Centre, which incorporated seniors’ long-time ask for a new space, the Ruth Clarke building hasn’t been in use since before the pandemic.
According to the county, this location will support 70 new spaces set to open by fall 2024, with a project planned in partnership with the Ganaraska Child Care Centre.
At the Canton Hub, renovations will accommodate 49 new spaces. This location is planned in partnership with YMCA Northumberland, with an anticipated opening in winter.
Renovation plans are also underway to introduce 47 new spaces in Warkworth in collaboration with the YMCA. These spaces, at 161 Old Hastings Rd., are expected to open in fall 2024, said the county.
What’s more, 15 “family age grouping” spaces will be introduced at the Northumberland Centre for Individual Studies in Cobourg in 2024, offering new spaces serving diverse age ranges, explained officials.
This family age group centre will promote children of different ages to learn together and support families with children of different ages to receive care at the same facility, reads the county’s release.
“While the county recognizes that all communities in Northumberland have unique needs and demands relating to childcare, these three locations were identified in the county’s directed growth plan and early learning and childcare service plan as high-priority areas based on existing capacity, demand, community demographics, projected growth and socio-economic factors.”
These projects build on efforts that started in 2023, with the introduction of 10 new infant spaces at Brighton Children’s Centre, in partnership with the school board, added the county.
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
