THUNDER BAY - As regions across the province prepare to reopen more businesses and services on Friday, the provincial government is also taking steps to ensure parents returning to work have access to childcare.
“We know providing childcare for parents is critical for getting our economy back on track,” said Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce during the daily media briefing on Tuesday.
As part of a regional approach for entering stage two of the three stage framework for reopening the economy this Friday, childcare centres and at home daycare will also be permitted to resume.
“We need to make sure supports are in place so people have peace of mind when they go back to work,” Premier Doug Ford said. “Parents returning to work need to know someone they trust is there to care for their child in a safe and healthy environment.”
Childcare centres will follow the same strict guidelines put in place for emergency childcare centres that have been allowed to remain open during the pandemic to provide childcare for essential workers.
These guidelines include limiting groups of children and childcare workers to no more than 10, screening all staff, parents, and children for symptoms of COVID-19, having a plan in place in the event a child tests positive for the virus, daily attendance records to assist with contact tracing, enhanced cleaning, and not allowing visitors into the centres.
“The rules will look a lot like the guidelines we established to provide emergency childcare for frontline workers and it’s a model we know works,” Lecce said.
Inspections will also be done more frequently and fines will be increased for any centre not following the guidelines in place.
Lecce said based on feedback that has been received, some parents will choose not to return their children to childcare, which is why he believes there will not be any issues with capacity.
“Not all parents will be putting their children back,” Lecce said. “We believe with this plan cohosting of no more than 10 in a defined space should allow operators should they want to to optimize their full licensing capacity and some will not based on space. We will get workers back to work as soon as possible and there should be sufficient space available.”
According to Lecce, parents who chose not to send their children to childcare centres will not lose their spot or being charged during this period of time.
Lecce added he understands some childcare centres will not be ready to open on Friday and that it will take some time to take all the necessary steps to prepare.
“I appreciate some operators will want to take the time to do the training and to open up and that may take them some days and we respect that,” he said. “What we are signally today is that childcare can reopen but we know some will take additional time.”
The emergency childcare services offered earlier in the pandemic will begin to wind down and end on June 26.
Summer day camps will also be permitted to reopen this summer under strict public health guidelines. An announcement on schools reopening is also expected later this month.
