There’s frustration in Bruce County after the Ministry of Education reduced its allocation of child care spaces for the already underserved community.
Under the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system, Bruce County was originally approved for 645 new spaces by 2026.
Bruce County staff were actively working towards the target, given that many municipalities in Bruce County were below the 37 per cent child care accessibility rate established by the Ministry of Education. That number was recently cut by 133, following a provincial recalibration to redistribute spaces across Ontario.
County CAO Christine MacDonald said, despite offering to fund some spaces from the local tax levy, the province held firm on the reduction.
"We did send, at a staff level, a letter explaining that we were requesting the reinstatement of the 73 spaces," MacDonald explained. "We believe, in our calculations, that we have opportunity within our system to cover the costs of those 73 spaces. It was very clear that we are not to expand."
Under CWELCC guidelines, municipalities cannot fund additional spaces through local levies or operate child care centres with both CWELCC and non-CWELCC spaces. As a result, the County must work within its revised allocation.
The reduction means the county will have to prioritize, and unfortunately, some projects in the queue may need to be scaled back or put on hold.
County Director of Government Relations Arran Stauch said the move will directly affect local families and the economy, as many Bruce County municipalities already fall below the province’s childcare accessibility benchmarks.
He suggested to council on Thursday that the best move is to talk to local politicians about the importance of improved childcare accessibility in the region.
"To support the economic development of a county that has seen a Canada wide low unemployment rate for over ten years," Stauch added. "In order to address the workforce needs of our industries, including providing 30 per cent of Ontario's power, that these spaces are essential, and I think that that would probably be an effective next step."
The change will not have a financial impact on Bruce County’s budget, as CWELCC start-up and operating costs are funded by the provincial and federal governments.