The 2016-2020 Early Learning and Child Care Service Plan is a road map for licensed early learning and child care services in Waterloo Region. The five key actions in it are based on input from the community. That includes child care operators, community partners and more than 1,100 parents.

Full Document
Summary
Service Plan Progress Update 2019
Service Plan Highlights 2019

As the Consolidated Municipal Service Manager (CMSM), the Region of Waterloo Children’s Services is engaging in system-wide planning for licensed early learning and child care services. The 2022-2026 Early Years and Child Care Service System Plan will act as our road map for the next four years and is based on input from parents, service providers, child care operators and researchers.

Full 2022-2026 Early Years and Child Care Service System Plan (Accessible Version)

Executive Summary of the 2022-2026 Early Years and Child Care Service System Plan

 

The system plan will provide a picture of our priorities and actions for the next four years to create a more accessible, affordable, high quality, equitable and inclusive early learning and child care system. By working with community partners and taking a strategic approach, we will work to ensure that Waterloo Region is a community where all children thrive. Please visit the Engage Waterloo Region website for updates on this initiative. 

The Children and Youth Planning Table of Waterloo Region is a community-wide partnership that works towards maximizing the wellbeing of children and youth. The partnership includes service providers, researchers, planning bodies and funders serving children, youth and families.

Children's Services Access and Inclusion Plan

The Children's Services Access and Inclusion Plan outlines 16 strategic actions that are in progress working towards a more equitable approach within the Child Care and Early Years sector. 

Children's Services Access and Inclusion Plan (Full Accessible Version)

The Access and Inclusion Plan is in response to recommendations and feedback from the community, as well as the Provincial Government's Access and Inclusion Framework for the early years. The Ministry of Education now requires each Service System Manager to develop an approach towards equity and the inclusion of underserved groups, including Indigenous, Black, Racialized, families experiencing low-income, and children with special needs.

The Access and Inclusion Plan identifies priorities within the broader Early Years Child Care System Plan 2022-2026. This also aligns with the Region's 2023-2027 Strategic Plan: Growing with Care to provide equitable services and opportunities in the community.

For updates and progress about the Children's Services Access and Inclusion Plan, see the plan's EngageWR webpage.

We want to hear from you!

We are dedicated to hearing from our diverse community. If you have feedback or recommendations for Children's Services, please contact us.

Children's Services Access and Inclusion Plan Summary

Children's Services Access and Inclusion Plan Summary (Accessible Version)

Phase 1 Overview:

Children’s Services is proud of the work that has already begun as first steps towards creating a more accessible and inclusive child care system. The following summarizes both actions already underway, as well as actions planned for 2024.

Create more child care spaces

• New growth strategy
• Language and Mentorship Program
• Indigenous child care and home child care
• More overnight, evening and weekend child care

Create more welcoming and inclusive environments for children

• Professional development for the whole sector
• Equity and Inclusion Policies for child care
• Evaluate the special needs service model
• More supports for children with special needs in home child care

Remove barriers to accessing services

• Subsidy Access Pilot
• More inclusive policies in child care subsidy
• Simplify payment processes - Region of Waterloo Home Child Care
• New system navigators positions
• Translate the parent guide

Collect more useful data

• Collect race-based data for direct services
• Improve OneList

Engage more with underserved communities

• New engagement strategies

This section highlights our ongoing commitment to meaningful community engagement as outlined in our Children’s Services Engagement Strategy. This document outlines our strategy to ensure we are listening, observing, reflecting, and acting on the voices of families, caregivers, educators, and community partners across Waterloo Region.

In 2024, Children’s Services conducted extensive consultation with a wide range of community members to inform the roll-out of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Plan in the region. The feedback received has been compiled into the 2024 Engagement Summary Report (coming soon), and is informing the ongoing work of Children’s Services.

The Engagement Strategy and Summary Report are key deliverables of our 2022–2026 Early Years and Child Care System Plan and the Access and Inclusion Plan, which together guide how we work to build an inclusive, responsive, and accessible system for all children and families.

We are dedicated to hearing from our diverse community. If you have feedback or recommendations for Children's Services and wish to participate in our engagement sessions, please fill out the contact form via the link below, and we will book a time to meet with you or your organization.  Should you prefer to share your feedback online, please complete our Online Engagement Survey. 

EDI Summary Report

The Early Development Instrument results for 2023. A snapshot of children’s developmental health at school entry for Senior Kindergarten Students in Waterloo Region. Comparisons available against Ontario as a whole for the 2022/2023 school year. Access the EDI Summary report.

EDI Over Time Report

A look at the last six cycles of the EDI results in Waterloo Region and across Ontario from 2004 to 2023. Access the EDI Over Time Report.

EDI Data Portal

Access to more information, including the Waterloo Region Neighbourhood Portal, which provides results over time by city/township. Data currently available from 2004 to 2018 with additional results coming soon. Access the EDI Portal.

The Early Learning and Child Care Profiles share key indicators for early learning and child care services in Waterloo Region. Comparisons to previous years help identify trends and changes. It also supports planning as we strive to ensure all children thrive in our community.

2024 Fact Sheets:

• Licensed Child Care Fact Sheet 2024 
• EYCC Workforce Fact Sheet 2024 
• Early Years Programs Fact Sheet 2024

Fact sheets from previous years:

• Early Years and Child Care Profile 2022
• Early Years and Child Care Profiles 2020
• Early Learning and Child Care Profiles 2018

Child care in Waterloo Region would not be possible without the dedication and expertise of Early Years and Child Care (EYCC) professionals. Region of Waterloo Children’s Services continues to use tools to positively impact recruitment and retention of these professionals.

Recently, Children’s Services, alongside 42 other Ontario service system managers, joined in a province-wide study to locally evaluate early years and child care. This project, called Knowing Our Numbers (KON), focused on understanding the challenges faced by the early years workforce in Ontario.

The study gathered information about demographics, wages and benefits, job satisfaction, working conditions, advancement opportunities, and professional learning. It also looked at workplace racism and discrimination and helped to inform workforce plans and policy development across the province. Regional living wage levels and local census information also provided context.

For more information, read the Region’s report and summary of all participating municipalities:

• Regional Municipality of Waterloo Report
• Executive Summary / Rapport exécutif
• Methodology / Méthodologie

Ryelle Strategy Group was hired to create a series of engagement opportunities with staff, EYCC supervisors and operators, internal and external participants, and community partners. These engagement opportunities were held to identify the impact of our workforce support efforts and build recommendations to enhance our long-term workforce recruitment and retention strategy.

Highlights of the survey engagement include:

• 497 Early Childhood Educators (ECE) survey responses
• Four focus groups with ECEs, EYCCs, and supervisors and operators
• Seven internal and external participant interviews

Common themes of the workforce findings are as follows:

• Strengths: Region’s leadership and dedication to quality of care, Opportunities for professional learning, Collaborative early years environment, Valuable partnerships.
• Challenges: Staff recruitment, Workload, Staff retention.
• Opportunities: Salary and benefit increase, Region as an advocate, Public awareness of ECE role, More staff input.

Identified areas of focus moving forward include:

• Recognition
• Responding to needs
• Working together
• Advocacy
• Continuous improvement

Read the full Participant Engagement Outcomes Report.

In September 2023, Children's Services launched the Subsidy Access Pilot with initial participation of 14 child care sites. Child care sites participating in the pilot will hold 20% of their spaces for children in receipt of Child Care Subsidy.

In addition, all new child care centres or classrooms will hold 30% of their new spaces for children in receipt of Child Care Subsidy.

As the demand for child care spaces grows, we have learned that families using Child Care Subsidy often face additional barriers to accessing licenced child care spaces. This pilot aims to improve equitable access for those families.

The Child Care Subsidy program helps parents pay for child care, so that they can go to work, school or possibly if they have a child with special needs. Find out more about Child Care Subsidy or apply.

Financial support provided through Child Care Subsidy is not the same as the fee reductions provided by the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Plan (CWELCC). Fee reductions through CWELCC are automatically applied to all children age 0-6 attending participating licensed child care. There is no need to apply for CWELCC. 

How families can be involved in the Subsidy Access Pilot

If you think your family may qualify for Child Care Subsidy make sure that your OneList profile is up to date and that you have selected, "I need help to pay my child care costs (subsidy)" in your application under the section, "Fee Subsidy".

Other than keeping your OneList account up to date, there is no additional application process to opt in to the Subsidy Access Pilot. The child care centres that are participating in the pilot will contact potential families during the time of enrollment and ask about their eligibility for Child Care Subsidy. If families have not yet applied for Child Care Subsidy, they will be asked to apply and let the child care centre know if they are eligible. 

Need Help Applying?

If you need help applying for child care on OneList or for Child Care Subsidy, you can reach out to the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Navigators through the YMCA at 519-741-8585 extension 3008 or visit the YMCA of Three Rivers - ELCC Navigators website.

Find out more about the Children's Services Access and Inclusion Plan.