Here’s where new childcare spaces are being considered in Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon

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Published March 9, 2023 at 11:01 am

More childcare centres are expected in Peel over the next few years, with a focus on areas currently lacking spaces for children.

A childcare report was presented to Regional Council today (March 9) with the stated goal of having 7,621 childcare spaces in Peel by 2026 (with 6,510 being community-based and 1,111 being school-based).

It’s part of the wider Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) expansion plan, which aims to provide greater access to affordable and high-quality childcare for parents of children under 6 years old.

The plan calls for approximately 86,000 childcare spaces in Ontario by 2026.

In Peel, the plan would focus on developing new childcare spaces in the following 13 communities believed to be currently underserved:

  • Mississauga Valley
  • Mississauga Cooksville
  • Brampton Bramalea
  • Mississauga East
  • Mississauga West-Meadowvale
  • Mississauga Port Credit
  • Brampton Northwest
  • Brampton Southwest
  • Brampton Southeast
  • Brampton Centre
  • Mississauga East-Credit
  • Caledon Southwest
  • Caledon Southeast

The province has identified various socio-economic factors used to allocate space targets for childcare expansion.

Factors include children aged 0-5 in lone-parent families, low-income households, households spending greater than 30 per cent of income on shelter costs, recent immigrants, and women aged 25-44 not participating in the labour force.

Peel Region is also considering the factors of multi-generational homes and the existing supply of childcare spaces in Peel.

“There are challenges to achieving the goal of child care expansion, including restricted autonomy for child care providers in expansion, workforce shortages, increasing child care demand and ensuring access for low-income families and children with special needs,” says the report from Sean Baird, Commissioner of Human Services.

As part of the next steps, staff will begin engaging with the child care sector and community partners to identify opportunities for child care expansion in Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon.

According to Baird’s report, the province has indicated that funding allocations to support expansion will be shared with Service System
Managers in spring 2023, including the allocation for Peel.

Currently Peel Region offers a childcare subsidy to help parents afford licensed childcare for children 12 years and under, among other support programs.

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