- by Anne Finlay-Stewart, Editor
We understand that reliable, safe, and affordable child care is crucial to parents participating fully in the workforce. Finding appropriate child care was keeping people – disproportionately women – from seeking or returning to work, and the on again-off again pattern of workplaces, schools and daycares during Covid just exacerbated the problem.
Safety and quality of care is still top of mind, regardless of how desparate a family may be to find care for their children.
On the advice of a local child care provider, we spent some time on a Government of Ontario site that gives detailed information about licensed child care centres.
Particulars of the centres' licences are provided – numbers and ages of children allowed, hours of operation, and details of inspections – dates, infractions and level of risk. Inspections occur at least once a year, and on a complaint basis, and cover staff qualifications, nutrition, facilities, health and medical supervision and administrative matters.
One childcare centre in Bruce County was closed abruptly by the Ministry of Education under a "protection order" for three months last year. It was re-opened in September after "a deep hygienic cleaning was performed, and all other measures were taken to ensure a safe space," according to an article in the Saugeen Times.
An Owen Sound Centre was inspected seven times within six months in 2022 and during one of those inspections, 14 Requirements Not Met were observed, including four at the High risk level and three at Critical.
Critical is defined by the Ministry: "If this requirement is not in compliance, there may be a direct threat to a child which could result in/has resulted in death. A direct threat includes situations where there is a clear cause-and-effect relationship between the non-compliance and harm to the child."
All matters from inspection that are noted as "resolved".
That centre received a monitoring inspection last week, at which only one Requirement Not Met was observed - marked Critical - "Not every child has been supervised by an adult at all times."
Parents and guardians are entitled to see the inspection reports that will provide more details on observed non-compliances.
The Ministry advises if you have concerns about your child care program: "Please speak with the licensee or supervisor of the child care center. The ministry will follow up on concerns about licensed child care programs when we have a description of the concern and the name of the child care centre. To report a complaint about a licensed child care program, please contact us at 1.877.510.5333 or [email protected]."
Grey County Children’s Services is licensed annually by the Ministry of Education to support the home child care program, where providers care for up to six children in their own home, with a variety of childcare options, eg. full/part-time, shift-work, overnight and evening care.
