New child care spaces set to open after federal, provincial funding boost

The highest level of government is boosting child care support for Waterloo Region.

By the end of next year, 411 new child care spaces are set to open, with $7.9 million in provincial and federal funding to help.

It’s all under the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) agreement, funded by both the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada.

The big cash will help to create over 400 new spaces and the infrastructure needed to do so. The hundreds of new child care spaces are on top of the 3,725 spaces already allocated to the region, announced back in November 2023.

It brings the total number of child care spaces, under the CWELCC agreement, up to 4,136.

“Child care is essential to our community, supporting families in the early years of a child’s life,” said Regional Chair Karen Redman. “These new spaces and funding will provide much needed child care to more families across the region.”

The hope is also to reduce the cost of child care for families to an average of $10 per day by 2026.

“Children’s Services is on track to meet these growth targets across Waterloo Region, addressing the growing demand for child care spaces and creating additional job opportunities in the child care sector,” said a release from the Region of Waterloo.

Regional council will give a final look at the numbers at a council meeting on May 23.