Waterloo Region is expecting to meet its target of creating more than 4,000 funded childcare spaces by the end of 2026, according to a new report released Tuesday. The spaces are part of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) plan, which aims to provide families with accessible, affordable and licensed childcare. Since the program’s launch in 2022, 2,656 new CWELLC spaces have been created. An additional 1,480 spots are expected to be created by the end of 2026. “We have increased access to childcare for children ages 0 to 4, from 27 per cent back in 2022, up to 31 per cent in 2026,” explained Barb Cardow, the region’s child services director. “That said, there are still not enough spaces for all the families who are needing childcare, and we know we need to continue to grow.” She said more than 14,000 children are currently on the waitlist in Waterloo Region. Of those, 9,500 need a space within the next three months. In 2022, Cardow said there were around 5,000 children on the region’s waitlist. She attributed the surge to the program’s development, which opened the door for affordable and reliable childcare. “We do hear from families daily that they have trouble finding a space,” Cardow said, adding there is a “dire need” for childcare spaces all across the province. The region has identified 13 priority neighbourhoods where access to affordable licensed childcare is very low or almost non-existent. They include: “There’s a lot [of people] in Kitchener at this time that are needing childcare spaces to catch up with the rest of the community,” Cardow said. To address the need, the region is purchasing two modular childcare centres already located at Kitchener schools. Each of those will have 88 spaces. “They will be in areas that are most in need of childcare,” Cardow explained. “Where there is very little access to childcare, and where there is a higher number of families who are living with low income and experiencing other barriers to access childcare.” Currently, the average cost of childcare in Ontario sits at $19 a day. Centres operating under CWELCC in Waterloo Region range between $19 and $22 a day. Even though the region is meeting its target, Cardow acknowledged that they can’t help everyone. “There continues to be families who are left out, and those families report to us that they end up having to make really difficult decisions,” she noted. “That is a really tough position for families,” Cardow continued. “We continue to talk to the province about how important it is that we continue to grow, so that all families who need it can access the care.”
