Bruce County will be offering targeted emergency child care for school-aged children of first responders, health care professionals, and other eligible workers.
On April 12, 2021, the Government of Ontario announced that all publicly funded and private elementary and secondary schools in the province are to move to teacher-led remote learning when students return from the April break on April 19, 2021.
Further, that child care for non-school aged children will remain open, before and after school programs will be closed, and free emergency child care for the school-aged children of eligible health care and frontline workers will be provided.
Recognizing the foundational nature of child care in providing a trusted and safe environment for children so that parents can work, the following will be implemented in regard to child care during this time:
- Child care will remain open for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers for the duration of these time-limited public health actions. This includes child care offered in licensed child care centres and in home-based settings.
- During the period when elementary schools are operating virtually, licensed child care centres and authorized recreation and skill-building providers will be prohibited from serving school-aged children. As such, all before and after school programs are being closed during this one-week period.
- To support the parents of school-aged children who may not be able to support their child’s learning/care at home due to their essential role, the Ministry of Education will be re-in traducing the targeted emergency child care program for school-aged children, at no cost to eligible parents
Eligibility
The targeted emergency child care program for school-aged children is reserved exclusively for children of eligible workers who have no other child care alternatives for their school-aged child/children. Parents are encouraged to check the provincial website for an updated list of eligible workers. A link to the list of eligible workers will be available on the Bruce County website when released by the province.
Locations
Targeted emergency child care for school-aged children will be located within existing licensed child care settings. An updated listing of site locations within Bruce County will be available once approved by the Ministry of Education.
How to Apply
Eligible parents may submit their requests for emergency child care for school-age children by emailing Bruce County Children’s Services at [email protected].
Please note that submitting a request does not guarantee emergency child care for school-age children as this will be determined by the availability of approved locations.
source: media release, Bruce County
