Bruce County will be re-introducing targeted emergency child care for school-aged children of health care professionals, and other eligible workers.
On January 3, 2022, the Province of Ontario announced that starting January 5, all elementary schools, publicly funded and private, will be closed for in-person learning. Students enrolled in publicly funded schools will move to virtual learning. The government will continue to rely on the advice of public health experts, with remote learning in effect until at least January 17.
During this time, 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 professionals and other eligible workers will be provided beginning January 10, 2022.
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 for non-school aged children (i.e. children aged 0-4) will remain open for the duration of this time-limited public health action. 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, authorized recreation and skill-building providers and district school boards will be prohibited from serving school-aged children.
• To support the parents of health care professionals and other eligible workers with school-aged children who may not be able to support their child’s learning/care at home, the Ministry of Education will be re-introducing 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 health care and other eligible workers who have no other child care alternatives for their school-aged child/children
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 an application for emergency child care for school-age children through this link on the Bruce County website or 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.
Discover more about Children’s Services in Bruce County
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