More than 9,000 kids on child care waitlist in Waterloo region

There's a need to find more spaces for child care in Waterloo region, a new report says.

The report went before regional council's community and health services committee Tuesday morning. It asked staff to look at regionally owned buildings as well as housing redevelopments for opportunities to create more community-based non-profit child-care spaces.

Councillors voted in favour of the recommendations in the report.

Since 2022, the region has seen a 115 per cent increase in child-care demand, which has left 9,200 children on a wait list, the report said. There are currently only enough spaces for just over 30 per cent of children up to four years old.

"There has always been a shortage of childcare," Barb Cardow, director of children's services for the region, told regional councillors Tuesday.

"Now that [child care] is more affordable, that has increased the demand and there's more awareness of licensed child care, which has resulted in significant increase in demand."

Through consultations with local non-profit child-care operators, the report said it identified a lack of affordable land and suitable space as the most significant barrier to providing high quality child care.

"Pursuing the availability of regional-owned land and spaces could support necessary expansion of the child care system and have long-term benefits for children, families and the community." the report says.

Cardow said it could also expand to new housing developments by the region. She said a report that went to council last spring highlighted priority areas for the expansion of child care spaces, which include the three cities and most of the townships.

Collaborating with schools, universities

In 2023, the region was provided with an updated growth target for licensed child-care spaces by the Ministry of Education. Of the 3,725 spaces to be added by 2026, just under 65 per cent have been added to the system.

A competitive application process, set to be released in early 2024, will evaluate interested operators' financial viability, inclusion plans and geographic locations to help fill the remaining 1,404 spaces.

As part of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child-Care agreement, signed by Ontario in March 2022, Waterloo region is required to have 85 per cent of its child-care spaces as non-profit. So far, that number sits at 60 per cent, the report said.

To help meet that target, the report said "staff is seeking approval to consult and collaborate with area municipalities, school boards, universities, hospitals and other community partners and businesses to explore opportunities for child care growth." 

The report adds that the costs for renovating the spaces can be partially supported through provincial funding and would have no impact to the regional property tax levy. 

This year, the province has provided $3.9 million in start-up funding to support child care growth in the region.

Further updates on land/space opportunities and the application process will be brought forward later in 2024.