Region coordinating emergency child care to start January 10

Waterloo Region – The Region of Waterloo is organizing an emergency child care program for parents and guardians who work in critical health care and other front line services starting January 10, 2022.

To be eligible:

• At least one parent/guardian in the home must be a:

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  • frontline health care worker providing in person care (including hospital and acute care staff, medical first responders, pharmacists and pharmacy assistants and community health care workers),
  • frontline police and fire personnel,
  • long term care home employee,
  • individual working in a homeless shelter or providing services to people experiencing homelessness,
  • frontline worker in congregate care settings,
  • person working in correctional institutions, and
  • worker essential to frontline child care and education.
    
    
• Both parents/guardians work out of the home; and
  
  
• Children are of school age.

Fees will be paid by the Province. Health care and critical frontline service workers can apply online through the application form on the Region’s website. The order families are placed in care will be based on many factors, including urgency of need.

All child care providers meet health and safety and policy requirements based on guidance from the Province and Region of Waterloo Public Health. However, even with these strict processes in place there may be disruptions to service due to the illness of students attending or the staff providing the care.  We encourage all applicants to have a back-up plan in the event we have a waitlist for ECC and/or there is an unplanned disruption to service.

For more information about the program, including locations, please visit the COVID-19 Community Supports page.

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