Finding Quality Child Care

Are child care centres closing?

Can school-age children attend child care?

Who is emergency child care for?

This targeted emergency child care is intended for children, who are registered in an elementary school and have parents who are eligible workers and have no options for care.

Emergency child care is not for infants, toddlers or preschool children, as these age groups continue to be in operation during this time-period. 

Are centre-based kindergarten programs impacted?

No. Operators with junior/senior kindergarten-age children who are not registered in school but are instead registered in a centre as of December 21, 2020, may continue to serve these children throughout the duration of the one-week closure. 

Will school-age children be attending virtual learning while in child care?

Registered Early Childhood Educators are not responsible for managing the requirements of each child’s individual virtual learning environment. All children, however, will be engaged in the foundations of How Does Learning Happen, Ontario’s approach to inquiry-based learning in licensed child care. 

When is emergency child care operating?

The emergency child care for school-age children of eligible workers will be accessible until in-person learning resumes. The hours of operation will be dependent on the regular day-time operating hours of the licensed child care centre they attend. Care is not being provided 24-hours a day or on weekends. 

Can my child attend their regular child care centre?

There are several centres that will offer emergency child care to school-age children across all eight of Durham’s municipalities. If eligible, the Children’s Services Division will do their best to have your child continue to attend their regular child care site. 

Will before and after school programs be collecting parent fees?

No. Operators of before and after school programs that are required to close are prohibited from charging fees or otherwise penalizing parents (e.g., parents must not lose their respective child care spaces) until in-person learning resumes. 

Who is eligible?

At least one parent must be an eligible worker as deemed by the List of Eligible Workers by the Province of Ontario. Please note the new additions to this list, which will take effect January 27, 2021.

Parents must be required to work outside the home and unable to telework.

What is the cost?

Emergency child care is available free to eligible families.

What if I’m not eligible, but require care for my child.

If your family requires care for your school-age child, the Children’s Services Division encourages you to contact a local licensed home child care provider who are not impacted by this closures.

How do I register?

To assess your eligibility and register for emergency child care, please complete our online application form.

Please note, you will need to upload proof of employment in order to complete your registration. This may include a paystub, employee photo identification or a letter from your employer.

If you require this information in an accessible format, please contact the Children’s Services Division at 1-800-387-0642.

What type of safety measures have been put into place?

All licensed child care centres and licensed home child care agencies that have reopened have signed attestations with the Ministry of Education to ensure strict health and safety measures have been put into place. These measures include:

• Daily screening and monitoring for symptoms
• Consistently wearing personal protective equipment
• Limited interactions of educators from room-to-room
• Cohorting of children
• Removal of self-serving meals and snacks
• Physical distancing activities, when possible
• Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting procedures

How has COVID-19 impacted the quality of programming?

Licensed child care providers in Durham Region are committed to providing high-quality services to children ages birth to 12 years. While the COVID-19 pandemic has altered some daily operations, the quality of programs remain unchanged. Children are viewed as curious, competent, and rich in potential of achieving their best with their development fostered by their Registered Early Childhood Educators. Throughout this pandemic, educators are committed to delivering high-quality programming, aligned to Ontario's approach to early learning called How Does Learning Happen?

What are the symptoms of COVID-19 in children? 

• Fever (temperature of 37.8C or greater)
• New or worsening cough
• Shortness of breath
• Sore throat
• Difficulty swallowing
• Changes to sense of taste or smell
• Nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain
• Runny nose, or nasal congestion (not caused by seasonal allergies.

Atypical symptoms of COVID-19 should be considered, particular in children, older persons, and people living with a developmental disability. Atypical symptoms can include: unexplained fatigues/malaise/myalgias, delirium (acutely altered mental status and inattention), unexplained or increased number of falls, acute functional decline, exacerbation of chronic conditions, chills, headaches, croup, conjunctivitis, multisystem inflammatory vasculitis in children.

Note: symptoms of multisystem inflammatory vasculitis in children include persistent fever, abdominal pain, conjunctivitis, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and rash.

Do I have to complete a screening every day?

Yes. In accordance with the directive from the Ministry of Education and the Durham Region Health Department, you must complete a screening every day before arriving at child care.

What is included in the daily screening?

The screening includes questions about common and atypical symptoms of COVID-19. Your daily screening will also ask if:

• Your child has travelled outside of Canada in the past 14 days.
• Your child has been identified as a close contact of someone who is confirmed as having COVID-19 by the Durham Region Health Department.
• Your child has been directed by a health care provider or public health official to isolate.

What if my child develops symptoms while attending child care?

All parents are required to complete a daily self-screen for their child before arrival at their child care centre or home. If a child experiences any symptoms of COVID-19 while in child care, the following steps are taken:

• The child is immediately separated from others, in a separate room where possible.
• An educator will remain with the child and wear personal protective equipment, so that they may supervise and provide comfort to the child as needed.
• If older than the age of 2 years, the child will be encouraged to wear a medical mask.
• The parent/caregiver of the child will be contacted as soon as possible.
• Enhanced cleaning and disinfection of any area or potential area that the child may have been will take place. This includes cleaning and disinfecting toys and equipment.
• The parent should follow the next steps as outlined on the COVID-19 Screen Tool memo.
• The child care will follow operational guidance from the Ministry of Education and consult the Durham Region Health Department, if required.

When can my child return to child care?

The guidance on when your child can return to care depends on their symptoms and advice from a health care professional. Please follow the advice on the Durham Region child care screen tool for further guidance.

Can siblings of a child with COVID-19 symptoms attend child care?

If a child develops symptoms and their self-screening indicates they should stay home, but their sibling(s) do not have symptoms, the siblings do not need to isolate unless the other child tests positive for COVID-19.

My child was tested for COVID-19 and we are waiting for results. They no longer have symptoms. Can they go to child care?

No. In accordance with the Durham Region Health Department directive, you child must self-isolate from others while waiting for their test results. Household members should monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19, but can go to work and school.

Do I need to provide a doctor's note in order to return to child care after having symptoms and/or COVID-19?

No. The Ministry of Education and the Durham Region Health Department do no require parents to provide a medical note or proof of negative result for a child to return to child care.

What if there's one positive case in my child's child care?

Licensed child care operators and agencies work closely with the Durham Region Health Department on a regular basis. If there is a positive case at the child care centre, the health department will work in collaboration with the child care centre to identify exposed individuals, ensure they are excluded and get tested, as appropriate. Additional measures may include enhanced cleaning and disinfection, close monitoring of children for symptoms of illness, etc.

What is considered an outbreak? 

An outbreak is declared when a cluster of ill children and/or staff with respiratory or enteric symptoms occur.

A COVID-19 outbreak is declared when two or more laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases in children, staff/providers or other visitors is identified.

In both situations the ill individuals must be epidemiologically linked (e.g. cases in the same room) where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection in the child care setting.

How is an outbreak managed in a child care centre?

Your child care centre works closely with the Durham Region Health Department to ensure all necessary health and safety measures are in place to protect the child care community. Depending on the assessment conducted by the Health Department, there may be child care closures ranging from a single room up to a full centre closure. Additional control measures during an outbreak may include:

• Outbreak signage at entrances and affected areas.
• Informing outside agencies that use the child care centre of the outbreak.
• Ensuring that groups of children and staff do not mix with other groups.
• Only allowing essential visitors into the child care centre.
• Limiting children's activities to the assigned rooms
• Ensuring all staff are not working in other child care centres.
• Enhanced cleaning and disinfection.

How will I know if my child can attend the child care centre during a COVID-19 outbreak?

Your child care centre will notify you if your child's room or the centre will be closed. Anyone identified as a close contact of the positive case of COVID-19 will be advised to leave the child care centre and to self-isolate at home. The Durham Region Health Department will follow-up with all identified contacts for further assessment and provide recommendations for testing.

How do I know when the COVID-19 outbreak if over?

The Durham Region Health Department will work closely with your child care centre to manage the outbreak. The outbreak will be resolved when:

• It has been at least 14 days from the last exposure to a COVID-19 case; and no further symptomatic individuals have pending COVID-19 test results.
• The duration of an outbreak may be declared over sooner if COVID-19 has been ruled out (e.g. all symptomatic cases have tested negative)

Where can I find more about positive cases and outbreaks in Durham's child care?

The Durham Region COVID-19 Data Tracker provides regularly updated information on the status of COVID-19 outbreaks in Durham Region schools and child care centres.

What happens when an educator or essential visitor develops symptoms of COVID-19?

All staff and essential visitors within licensed child care are required to complete a daily self-screen. If the individual has a symptom of COVID-19 they must follow the guidance as outlined by the Durham Region Health Department, which may include seeking advice from a healthcare provider and getting tested for COVID-19.

What is an essential visitor?

An essential visitor may include:

• Special needs resourcing professionals.
• Representatives from the Ministry of Education.
• Representatives from the Children's Services Division.
• Representatives from the Durham Region Health Department.
• Essential maintenance workers.
• Catering personnel.
• Public officials, such as fire marshals.
• Students completing post-secondary educational placements.

Please note that essential visitors must complete daily screening, wear person protective equipment, and follow the enhanced safety measures.

Are parents allowed in the child care centres?

Parents are typically not allowed in child care centres, as to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. Only with the approval of the licensed child care operator may a parent enter the program. In this case, the parent must complete the self-screen, wear appropriate personal protective equipment, and log their time in and out of the centre.

What kind of personal protective equipment are educators required to wear?

All educators in licensed child care centres and home are required to wear medical masks and eye protection. Eye protection includes either a face shield or goggles.

The use of masks is not required outdoors for adults when physical distancing of at least two metres can be maintained between individuals; however, educators must wear appropriate personal protective equipment if there is any risk that physical distancing may be compromised.

Does my child have to wear a mask?

All children in grades four and above are required to wear a non-medical mask or face covering while inside a child care setting, including in hallways.

All younger children (grade three and below) are encouraged but not required to wear an non-medical mask or face covering while inside a child care setting, including in hallways.

Masks are not recommended for children under the age of two.

Who will supply my child with a mask?

Parents/guardians are responsible for providing their child(ren) with a non-medical mask(s) or face covering each day. Remember that if children are wearing masks, they will be require to store their masks while not in use. Parents are also responsible for laundering their child's mask after each use.

What if my child cannot wear a mask?

Please inform your child care supervisor as soon as possible if your child cannot wear a mask due to a medical condition, religious belief, or other known cause. Your child care provider is required to document these exemptions within their COVID-19 policies.

There are resources available for parents to help encourage the use of masks in children.

Do I have to complete two daily screenings?

Children are only expected to be screened once prior to arriving to the before-school program and do not need to be rescreened prior to starting their school day.

For after-school programs, where children are in school, a full screening is not necessary upon the child's arrival to the program, however, child care staff must ensure the child has not developed any new symptoms.