Emergency child-care services for essential workers
April 3, 2020
The City of Ottawa is offering provincially funded emergency child-care services for essential and critical service workers at no cost to families. Starting today, eligible families can apply on ottawa.ca for three centres anticipated to open on Monday, April 13.
Emergency child-care services will only be available to essential and critical service workers. The Province has a list of workers eligible for emergency child-care, and it includes regulated health care professionals, first responders and those who perform work considered essential to delivering core municipal services. As there is limited capacity, the City will prioritize child-care spaces for health care workers before placing other essential frontline workers.
How to apply
Eligible families can find more information and apply at ottawa.ca. Applicants will need to create an account on the City’s Child Care Registry and Waitlist and identify their need for emergency child-care services.
Locations and hours of operation
The Province has approved funding for three licensed, municipal child-care centres in Ottawa, all of which are anticipated to open on Monday, April 13. Locations and hours of operation are listed:
- Esther By Child Care Centre (1550 Caldwell Avenue)Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 5:45 pm
- Centre Éducatif Tournesol (194 McArthur Road)Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 5:45 pm
- Dr. Ernest Couture Child Care Centre (2185 Riverside Drive)Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 8 pm
The City will continue to review community needs and will consider providing emergency care on weekends and extended hours, if needed.
The centres will be staffed by City employees, all of whom are Registered Early Childhood Educators. Each center will accommodate approximately 10 to 12 children, aged between 18 months and five years.