More than 760 more spaces needed by 2032: report
A growing Brantford and area population means more than 750 new licensed child-care spaces are needed over the next 10 years.
A report called Child Care and Early Years 10 Year Plan 2022 to 2032 was presented this week to city and County of Brant councilors who sit on the social services committee.
As of November 2021, there were 56 licensed centre-based child-care sites and 43 licensed home child-care sites, providing 4,235 child-care spaces that serve about one of every five local children up to age 12, according to a report prepared by Michelle Connor, the city’s manager of children’s services and Early Years.
In order to maintain that same level of service, the city and county need an additional 767 spaces by 2032, said Connor.
Aaron Wallace, the city’s director of community programs, said achieving that goal includes three factors: more physical space for programs, having enough child-care providers, and having enough early childhood educators to staff the centres.
While the city doesn’t provide the actual child-care spaces, it does act as a hub for parents to access services, particularly those who want to receive subsidies.
Wallace said the province is expected to make capital investments in creating new child-care centres, particularly at schools.
He said he also anticipates some people now providing unlicensed child care in their homes to move into the licensed sector. It’s estimated there are 273 unlicensed providers in the community.
The province is currently in negotiations with the federal government to join the Liberal’s $30 billion national child-care plan. The deal would provide Ontario with $10 a day child care.
“If we get to that goal of $10 a day child care, you may find families are migrating toward the licensed child-care sector,” said Wallace. “When homes get licensed there is no capital, or very little capital required. It’s just a licensing procedure.”
Wallace said that if the province signs the child-care deal more money may flow out to municipalities to provide staff for the new spaces.
“In a lot of sectors there are staffing shortages,” he said. “ECEs are no exception.”
Wallace said the city is working with community organizations to “champion ECEs as a really viable career option.”
City Coun. Cheryl Antoski said looking for child care can be a “very stressful time.”
“When you’re looking at the areas where daycare providers are needed, is that based on where people live?” she asked. “I found it much more beneficial to have a daycare closer to where I worked. Because of their closing time, I had a short window of time to get there to get my kids.”
Wallace said the city’s 10-year child-care plan is built around geographical areas where there is anticipated population growth.
“It’s a pretty imperfect science to say people want child care where they live because they often want it in a different community. We’re focused on high density populations but open to any conversations that are going to help families.”