Emergency Child Care to be provided for local Essential Workers

April 14, 2020

Emergency Child Care to be provided for local Essential Services Frontline Workers

BRANTFORD, ON: As part of the provincial response to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, on March 22, 2020, the Ministry of Education announced plans to further support health care professionals and other essential frontline workers, including doctors, nurses, paramedics, firefighters, police, and correctional officers, as well as other essential workers, with access to safe, local emergency child care throughout the duration of the pandemic.

Recognizing that the safest option for families is to have children remain at home if at all possible, essential workers who have no other alternatives for child care will be offered access to local child care services that will be reserved exclusively for children of essential and critical service workers as identified in the Province of Ontario’s List of Workers Eligible for Emergency Child Care.

In consultation with our local Brant County Health Unit Medical Officer of Health, in Brantford/Brant, Licensed Home Child Care provider, Wee Watch Home Child Care, has been selected to provide this emergency care to children of essential workers. This delivery model supports the City and County’s ability to provide emergency child care services while mitigating possible Covid-19 exposure by keeping children and staff in smaller numbers in each separate home location.

Parents who are essential workers who live or work in the City of Brantford or the County of Brant can register for a child care space at Wee Watch at https://brantford.onehsn.com/.

Once registered for a space, parents can apply for full fee subsidy by calling 519-759-7009 or completing the subsidy application online at Brantford.ca/childrensservices.

Any additional questions can be directed to childcareservices@brantford.ca.

LIST OF ESSENTIAL WORKERS ELIGIBLE FOR EMERGENCY CHILD CARE

1. An individual who is,
   i. a regulated health care professional, or
   ii. an unregulated health care provider working in health care delivery, either directly or
   indirectly.
2. A police officer as defined in the Police Services Act.
3. A member of a police force other than a police officer as defined in the Police Services
   Act.
4. An individual employed as a firefighter as defined in section 1 of the Fire Protection and
   Prevention Act, 1997.
5. An individual who is,
   i. engaged in providing fire protection services as defined under section 1 of the
   Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, and
   ii. employed in a fire department as defined under section 1 of the Fire Protection and
   Prevention Act, 1997.
6. A paramedic as defined in the Ambulance Act.
7. A coroner as defined in the Coroners Act.
8. A worker in a correctional institution as defined in the Ministry of Correctional
   Services Act.
9. An individual employed in the Institutional Services Division of the Ministry of the Solicitor
   General, including a person employed in a correctional institution as defined in section 1 of
   the Ministry of Correctional Services Act.
10. An employee of Compass Group Canada Ltd. who works at or provides services in
    relation to the Cook Chill Food Production Centre.
11. An individual employed in the Ministry of the Solicitor General who performs one or more
    of the following functions for the Institutional Services Division or Community Services
    Division:
    i. Performing electronic monitoring services. ii. Performing CPIC searches.
    iii. Preparing community supervision orders.
12. An animal welfare inspector appointed pursuant to the Provincial Animal Welfare
    Services Act, 2019.
13. An individual employed in the operation of,
    i. a place of secure custody designated under section 24.1 of the Young Offenders Act
    (Canada), whether in accordance with section 88 of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (Canada)
    or otherwise, or
    ii. a place of secure temporary detention as defined in subsection 2 (1) of the
    Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017.
14. Persons employed in the Direct Operated Facilities Branch of the Ministry of
    Children, Community and Social Services.
15. An individual who performs work that is essential to the delivery of core services in a
    municipality or First Nation community, as determined by the municipality or First Nation.
16. An individual who performs work of a critical nature in their service area or community, as
    determined by the Minister of Education or his delegate in consultation with the relevant
    service system manager or First Nation as those terms are defined under the Child Care and
    Early Years Act, 2014.
17. An individual who works in a child care centre authorized to operate pursuant to this
    Order.

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