MOUNT FOREST – The County of Wellington will reopen its Mount Forest Child Care and Learning Centre on May 19 to provide additional emergency child care spaces for frontline workers.
A total of 15 spaces will be available at no cost for children up to 12 years of age, the county announced on May 14.
“Emergency child care spaces are reserved exclusively for children of eligible workers identified by the Government of Ontario who have no other alternatives,” stated Luisa Artuso, director of the county’s Children’s Early Years Division.
“To date, the county has been able to provide this important service for 80 children and support families who are providing critical services in our community.”
All current child care policies and requirements set out in the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014, will apply to licensed child care settings providing emergency child care services.
The county has worked with Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health “to develop policies and procedures that will be required in the operation of approved emergency licensed child care settings to help limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus,” officials stated in a press release.
The county is still trying to recruit child care providers to offer care in the homes of essential workers. For more information visit www.wellington.ca/emergencychildcare.
