Waterloo Region on track to meet child care space target
Posted Nov 25, 2025 04:36:00 PM.
Last Updated Nov 26, 2025 04:11:46 PM.
As municipalities continue to work to raise the number of child care spaces, the Region of Waterloo will get an update on the local progress.
Specifically, the update focuses on child care spaces created under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) Plan.
The region was given a target of creating 4,136 spaces by 2026 and that’s what it has done.
The update shows to date, 2,656 new CWELCC child care spaces have been created, with another 1,480 on the way by the end of 2026. It could have been more, but 256 spaces were delayed because of unforeseen circumstances. The report says those will be added toward the next target.
Barb Cardow, Director of Children’s Services with the Region of Waterloo told 570 NewsRadio the CWELCC program has been transformational.
“In the past four years, the child care system has really undergone significant transformation and it was a response to calls for years, for a national child care plan. It has been an unprecedented investment in child care. It recognizes that access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care is necessary for the wellbeing of children, for our workforce participation, especially women, for addressing the impacts of poverty and supporting a robust economy.”
Cardow does admit that even by meeting the target, the region is still short hundreds, perhaps thousands of child care spaces. She said it’s important that the spaces be created in a thoughtful and calculated way.
“If we just try to create lots of spaces quickly we run a very high risk of impacting quality and impacting equitable access to those spaces. And so, the focus of this program is not just about opening new spaces but also about ensuring the workforce that is needed.”
The update will go before the Community and Health Services committee on Dec. 2.
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