Finding regulated childcare spaces continues to be a significant challenge for many parents in Newfoundland and Labrador, with some resorting to being put on waitlists even before their babies are born.
However, this still does not guarantee a spot, leaving some families waiting more than three years to secure an elusive childcare space.
Recent data from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has shown that 72 percent of young children in Newfoundland and Labrador reside in areas known as “childcare deserts.” These deserts are characterized by postal codes where there are more than three children for every licensed childcare space available.
The province ranks second in terms of having the highest number of childcare deserts in Canada, just behind Saskatchewan. Particularly in St. John’s the situation is concerning as there is less than one licensed childcare space available for every 10 infants.
Earlier this morning the Jimmy Pratt Foundation released “Making Space: 2023 Roadmap on Early Learning and Childcare.”
Neria Aylward, the Foundation’s Executive Director, says the report puts forward five pathways that would help government create more regulated spaces in a matter of months.
Photo via jimmyprattfoundation.ca
The report focuses on five priority areas: Retaining the Early Childhood Educator workforce, implementing full-day Junior Kindergarten, developing targeted strategies to increase rural and Indigenous childcare spots, and building the public childcare system.
Aylward says parents are facing a real crisis as some parents—mainly mothers—are having to leave the workforce for an extended period of time.
She says she hears about parents out of the workforce for over three years; people who are on a hundred waitlists and have a big long spreadsheet to keep track; parents are making calls every day like it’s their full-time job in hopes of getting a spot.
Aylward states that government has an open engagement on childcare which closes on July 14. Parents can go to engagenl.ca and take the survey.
