Ottawa School Board Faces Child Care Crisis with 1,005 on Waitlist

Families in Ottawa are grappling with a significant shortage of extended day child-care spaces, as the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) reports that 1,005 children are currently on waitlists for its programs. This shortage stems from a nationwide lack of early childhood educators, leaving many parents to seek alternative arrangements for their children as the new school year approaches.

In an email sent to parents on the waitlist, the OCDSB’s early learning department explained that staffing challenges are affecting the availability of spaces. The board advised families to explore other options for child care at least through September. “We anticipate that many families will want an approximate timeline of when a space will become available,” the email stated. “As this is based on staffing recruitment, each location will vary. We will connect with you directly when a space becomes available.”

Diane Pernari, a spokesperson for the board, confirmed that there are 1,005 children on waitlists for 68 licensed programs within the OCDSB. Meanwhile, 5,280 children have already been offered spaces. “We understand the frustration and disappointment that families on the waitlist for our Extended Day Program (EDP) are experiencing,” Pernari said. “This situation creates a significant challenge for parents, and the EDP team is working to address this.”

The issue has prompted many parents to voice their concerns. Kate Pollon-MacLeod, a mother of three, discovered that her six-year-old son is currently 27th on a waitlist of 60 at Stephen Leacock Public School in Kanata. “School ends at 2:30 p.m., so obviously there’s huge demand. It just seems like a lot of parents we’ve spoken to are in the same boat,” she remarked. Pollon-MacLeod has been actively looking for after-school programs, but transportation and availability remain significant barriers.

Heather Buchanan faced a similar situation when her daughter did not secure a spot at Woodroffe Avenue Public School. Initially, over 100 children were on the waitlist, but that number has dropped significantly. “We thought for sure we would get in,” Buchanan expressed. With her return to work scheduled for September, she is now forced to consider starting her workday at 6 a.m. to accommodate child pick-up.

Kari Peacock, a former school board teacher, has also encountered challenges. She registered her daughter for the EDP at Agincourt Road Public School last spring but now finds her daughter 27th on the waitlist. “Every year there are parents left stranded,” Peacock noted, highlighting the ongoing nature of the problem.

The Extended Day Program has been praised for providing essential child care for working parents. It helps fill gaps at the beginning and end of the school day, offering stability for young children by allowing them to remain with their classmates and caregivers. Despite its benefits, the program struggles with staffing issues. Low wages and limited benefits for early childhood educators and assistants (ECEAs) have made recruitment difficult. A report from Statistics Canada released in December revealed that wages for ECEAs are typically lower than those for similarly educated workers in other fields. Job vacancies in this sector doubled, from an average of 2,935 in 2017 to 7,356 in 2021.

As Pernari explained, the board’s commitment to maintaining specific staff-to-student ratios is legally mandated to ensure children’s safety and well-being. Low turnover rates in OCDSB programs further contribute to the scarcity of available spaces, since children can remain in the program from junior kindergarten through Grade 6, making openings rare.

Many parents are concerned that the lack of child care will hinder their ability to return to work. Meredith Charbonneau, who has been on the waitlist for three years at Kanata’s W.O. Mitchell Elementary School, expressed her frustrations. After pulling her son from the program during her maternity leave, she has struggled to find a spot for her fourth child. “I can’t get a job without child care and I can’t afford child care without a job,” she lamented, emphasizing the financial strain on her family.

The OCDSB is actively working to address the staffing crisis by increasing wages for part-time positions to make these roles more attractive and conducting year-round recruitment efforts. In contrast, the Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB) has reported a different experience, with only two of its schools facing EDP waitlists. Caroline Bachynski, a spokesperson for the OCSB, stated, “Once there is sufficient registration at these locations, we will be able to open additional EDP classes and hire the required Early Childhood Educators.”

Parents express sympathy for ECEs, acknowledging the challenges they face, including low pay and demanding hours. Pollon-MacLeod remarked, “It’s a well-known fact they’re severely underpaid and the hours are terrible. It’s hard on their families, too.” She fears that the situation could worsen due to public service return-to-office mandates, which may increase demand for child care.

As parents continue to navigate these challenges, the urgent need for solutions remains clear. The Ottawa community is left to grapple with a child-care crisis that affects not only families but also the workforce at large.