Language and Mentorship Program to Improve Equity in Child Care

Waterloo Region – The Region of Waterloo is improving equity in child care and creating career opportunities for caregivers speaking diverse languages.

The Language and Mentorship Program is part of the Region’s 15 million dollar Equity Investment Fund and Council’s vision for an inclusive community where everybody can thrive. The fund aims to improve the economic, social, and cultural health and well-being of Indigenous, Black, racialized, and marginalized groups who experience discrimination and exclusion.

This program will build on the strengths of the Region of Waterloo Home Child Care program by providing opportunities for caregivers in Waterloo Region with diverse first languages other than English to become contractors within the Home Child Care Program.

Through the support of Home Child Care program consultants, professional interpreters, and caregiver mentors, the Language and Mentorship Program allows caregivers to deliver licensed care. The program also works with community partners to ensure the caregivers have supports for their own self-directed learning goals for the English language, while operating their own home child care program.

“Thanks to this program, I've achieved my dream of having my own home based child care and taking care of wonderful and lovely children,” says Claudia Rodriguez, a caregiver in the current pilot program.

“Access to high-quality child care is essential for families in our community,” says Regional Chair Karen Redman. “This new program will enable parents to have access to care that is sensitive to their cultural and linguistic preferences, as well as increase the number of quality licensed care spots in our community.”

The new program will support caregivers and has these objectives:

• Increase the diversity of caregivers and allow increased parent choice in choosing care that best meets their family’s needs and preferences
• Empower caregivers in the program to continue and encourage them towards professional accreditation in the future
• Benefit caregivers in the program through reduced isolation, increased knowledge of small business operation, and professional mentorship

In addition to this program, the Region is focused on ensuring increased accessibility and awareness of the licensed child care system and child care subsidy for families who have been underserved in the past.

-30-