By Cecilia Nasmith

The new Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Program promises to ease one of two big child-care barriers in Northumberland County, council's Social Services standing committee heard at its June meeting.

That would be affordability, data analysis co-ordinator Amy Peverley told the committee. But the far bigger barrier – access not just to a space but to the right space – remains.

Every age group across the county – infant, toddler, school age – requires the service, she said, but sometimes facilities are located so far from home or work that it is an onerous daily task to get a child to care. Sometimes the hours of operation do not coincide with a work schedule.

She sees a need to promote awareness of both the fee subsidy and of the various child-care options – especially the home-care options that offer more flexible terms (overnight and evening care for example).

The need can only grow, Peverley said, citing 2021 census data that show an overall increase in the number of children – a 2% rise in those aged four and under, and a 3% increase in those aged five to nine. Increases in children is especially high in Port Hope and Alnwick-Haldimand Township

The Northumberland wait list for day-care spaces is currently 500 – though this is not an accurate figure, as parents anxious to access child care often put themselves on multiple wait lists. The average time a family waits on the list is 4.5 months, though it can be as little as one month or as long as 2.75 years.

The information on the gaps that exist in this area came from the Child Care Experience and Needs Assessment Survey that was conducted between December 2021 and February 2022, with families, care givers and residents invited to respond.

Peverley described the 435 responses as “excellent turn-out,” especially since only one had to be discarded as it was filed by a person who did not live in Northumberland County).

One in four respondents were Cobourg residents, though this is not out of line with the population in general. In fact, response was reflective of the county's member municipalities with one exception – Alderville First Nation, whose residents did not respond.

Among respondents, 18% were new to the county and 11% self-identified as single-parent families. These groups identified no particular barriers. Most of them used licensed child care, in centres or in homes, with 13% using unlicensed home care

One in four identified they would need care in the future – either expecting or planning a family.

“How conscious are people here of the fact that it's not immediately $10 a day,” wondered Warden Bob Crate.

“It's going to be somewhere down the road before people get to that. I just wondered if people understand that.”

Peverley said they have made it clear in their communications

“It's a process – an average of $10 a day by the end of 2025,” she said.

“There's a 50% reduction this year and hopefully, going forward, getting it down to an average of $10 a day by the end of 2025.”