The presence of child care services and supports for children and their parents or caregivers is a measure of the success of a region in giving children an early good start.
The Healthy Babies, Healthy Children provincial program is offered by the Niagara Regional Public Health Unit to help children and their parents or caregivers to get off to a healthy start and to be included in the community. In Niagara, approximately 98% of mothers are contacted through this program as early as possible after birth.
There are 16 Ontario Early Years sites and 5 drop-in centers across Niagara to support parents/caregivers and children 0 – 6 years of age (11,855 children were served and 62,289 parents/caregivers were served in 2006-2007). Source: http://www.earlyyearsniagara.org/Niagara_Best_Start_Community_Integrated_Plan_
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Licensed child care spaces in Niagara …
Each year, the number of licensed child care spaces has increased in Niagara. In 2007, there were 7,870 licensed childcare spaces in Niagara at 167 child care sites (174 infant, 695 toddler, 2,823 preschool, 1,324 JKSK, 2,854 school age). Approximately 2,000 of the child care spaces were subsidized spaces.
Table 28 Child Care Spaces in Niagara 2003-2007
|
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
|
5,977 |
6,333 |
6,870 |
7,195 |
7,870 |
By the end of 2007, there were 200 children on the waiting list for subsidized child care. The number of licensed child care spaces increased by a net increase of 675 spaces from 2006 to 2007, 553 of the increases were through funding from the Provincial Best Start Initiative. Source: Niagara Region Children’s Services 2007 Year End Report, COM 27-2008. May, 2007.
Rating: 3
