Northumberland County and partners are working to provide more families with access to licensed child care in Port Hope, Cobourg, and Warkworth before 2024 comes to a close.
While it has taken time to deliver on its plans, the county recently stated Northumberland and its community partners “are making steady progress on facility renovations” to open the new licensed child care spaces by the end of this year.
The child care spots are part of a broader expansion effort funded by Northumberland County in partnership with the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario. The county expects they will help meet the high demand for child care Northumberland is currently facing, particularly in priority areas that were identified through the county’s early learning and child care service plan.
“All partners are striving to complete work and get identified locations open as quickly as possible to address the urgent demand for child care in our community,” said Lesley Patterson, early years services manager. “While some plans have faced delays, our goal remains to open the majority of these 181 spaces before the end of this year.”
The county said locations set for completion by the end of 2024 include:
- Ruth Clarke Activity Centre, located at 81 Mill St. S. in Port Hope: 70 new child care spaces, operated by Ganaraska Child Care
- 161 Old Hastings Rd. in Warkworth: 47 new child care spaces, operated by YMCA Northumberland
- Northumberland Centre for Individual Studies, located at 780 D’Arcy St. in Cobourg: 15 new child care spaces, operated by YMCA Northumberland
Meanwhile, a fourth location at the Port Hope Community Hub, located at 5325 County Rd. 10, was also identified as part of the child care expansion plans for 2024 and was to be operated by YMCA Northumberland.
“However, this project has been delayed due to unexpected building code updates and licensing-related challenges, largely owing to the age and configuration of the building,” the county said. “A revised project budget is currently under development. Once all costing information has been received, partners will reassess plans and timelines, and provide an update to the community.”
In 2023, the waitlist for licensed child care in Northumberland County grew by 60 per cent, with 3,000 children waiting for spaces. In response, the county said it aims to add 404 new infant-to-age-six spaces by 2026, prioritizing underserved neighbourhoods and high-need areas identified through population demographics and socioeconomic factors.
These expansion plans align with provincial targets for the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system, to make high-quality, affordable, flexible, and inclusive child care accessible to more families.
In Budget 2021, the federal government set out to establish the CWELCC system, which involves working with provincial, territorial, and Indigenous partners to build a Canada-wide, community-based system of quality child care.
“This will be a transformative project on a scale with the work of previous generations of Canadians, who built a public school system and public health care,” the federal government noted in a backgrounder about the initiative.
“The clear benefits of early learning and child care should not be a luxury for only the Canadian families that can afford it. Lack of access is not a choice, nor are unaffordable fees. The current system is leaving too many children and families behind, particularly low-income and racialized families.”
Investing in early learning and child care provides jobs for workers (the majority of whom are women), enables parents (particularly mothers) to reach their full economic potential, and “it creates a generation of engaged and well prepared young learners,” the document noted.
In Northumberland, opening the new spaces is a top priority for everyone involved, Patterson said.
“We are working together to meet all licensing requirements, regulatory standards, and quality benchmarks so that families can count on having reliable, inclusive child care close to home.”
The county noted these efforts build on the progress made in 2023 with the addition of 10 infant child care spaces at the Brighton Children’s Centre, located at 24 Elizabeth St., in partnership with the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board.
“Expansion plans, continuing into 2026, show the strong commitment of all levels of government and local child care providers to support families and create important early childhood development opportunities in the community.”
