Region releases Early Years and Child Care System Plan

Waterloo Region – The Region of Waterloo Children’s Services launched a plan for the Early Years and Child Care (EYCC) sector to guide the system through transformative change. The 2022-2026 EYCC Service System Plan was developed based on research, data, and engagement with over 2,900 parents as well as community partners.

The plan was designed to strengthen the EYCC system, and lays out how the Region will improve the early years and child care system by:

• Increasing accessto child care through growing the number of high-quality licensed spaces and sustaining the existing spaces.
• Improving affordability of licensed child care to ensure that families can access child care regardless of their income.
• Improving the quality of early years and licensed child care programs and strengthening the workforce to create consistency across programs.
• Removing system barriers to increase equityandresponsiveness, ensuring that Indigenous, Black, and racialized families, and other families that experience inequities are able to fully participate in early years and child care programs and services.

The pandemic has amplified challenges in the Early Years and Child Care system, particularly in the areas of workforce recruitment and retention. The Plan addresses these challenges and will guide the system through the transformational change that will be made possible through the expected implementation of the federal Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Plan for $10 average per day child care.

Quotes:

“Child care is essential to our community as we move forward in this pandemic and beyond. We have heard from families about the needs within the child care system, and look forward to transformative change that increases access, affordability, quality, and equity within the system.” – Regional Chair Karen Redman

“Child care is very valuable in supporting children’s well-being and women participating in the workforce. This plan will support children, families, and our whole community today, and in the future.” – Regional Councillor Sandy Shantz

“The early years and child care system changes expected in the coming years are exciting, but implementation of these changes cannot come at the cost of quality and equity. We developed this System Plan to strengthen our system during a time of change, to ensure that programs are sustainable, staff are compensated fairly, and all families are included.” - Barb Cardow, Director of Children’s Services

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