Thousands of children in northern Ontario languish on childcare waitlists while licensed, funded spaces remain vacant due to a shortage of early childhood educators. Service managers and operators report consistent challenges across the region, with some programs returning funding to the province.

Underutilized Capacity in Key Districts

In the Cochrane District, including Timmins and surrounding communities, staffing shortages leave more than a third of licensed childcare capacity unused. Utilization stands at just 63 percent, primarily because of insufficient staff, according to Shannon Costello, director of children’s services for the Cochrane District Services Board and chair of the Northern Ontario Service Delivery Agencies’ children’s services network.

“We still are only at 63 per cent utilization and it is because of lack of staffing,” Costello stated. The problem persists district-wide, especially in francophone centres operating below 50 percent capacity. “We do not see most of our francophone centres even at 50 per cent capacity due to the fact that we cannot find qualified workers,” she added.

Licensed centres typically accommodate up to 49 children, with limits of 10 infants, 15 toddlers, and 24 preschoolers. Infants require one registered early childhood educator per three children, complicating staffing needs.

Long Waitlists and Regional Struggles

Parents face extended delays without centralized waitlists in areas like Cochrane, though waits prove common throughout northern Ontario. In Sudbury, over 4,300 children await licensed spots, with some families enduring up to 18 months. Sault Ste. Marie reports about 2,200 children on its centralized list.

The District of Nipissing, encompassing North Bay, Mattawa, Temagami, and nearby areas, must return approximately $6 million in childcare funding this fiscal year. Mark King, North Bay city councillor and chair of the Nipissing District Social Services Administration Board, attributes this to a lack of educators. “The reason being is the lack of early childhood educators to actually operate daycares. That’s the bottom line. Not enough people,” King said.

More than 1,400 children wait in Nipissing, requiring around 140 qualified staff to fill the gaps.

Proposals for ‘Learn and Stay’ Incentives

King advocated for a “Learn and Stay” model at the January Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference in Toronto, mirroring programs in paramedicine and nursing. This initiative covers college tuition in exchange for commitments to work in northern Ontario. “We’re asking the province to allow Nipissing to actually move forward with a pilot project that we would try to encourage people to enter that profession,” he explained, noting discussions with the Ministry of Education.

Costello supports such efforts for rural and northern areas, where drawing workers from southern Ontario proves challenging. She cited a new centre in Smooth Rock Falls, lacking prior licensed childcare, which struggles to staff despite clear demand. “We know there’s a need for licensed childcare there, but we don’t have the capacity to fill the centre right now because of lack of staffing,” she said.

Retention Challenges Beyond Wages

Early childhood educators support development in licensed centres, nursery schools, and before- and after-school programs, fostering language, motor skills, and emotional regulation—far beyond simple supervision.

Tracy Saarikoski, executive director of Discovery Early Learning and Care in Sudbury, identifies retention as the primary issue. “This is hard work. It’s definitely care work and we need to be recognized for the work that we’re doing,” she said. Educators often depart for roles offering pensions, benefits, and paid development, unavailable at many centres.

Ontario raised the minimum wage for registered early childhood educators to $23.86 per hour in 2023 to address shortages and support the $10-a-day childcare expansion. Yet Saarikoski notes, “Recently in our program, we have had educators leave because we don’t have a pension. A decent wage is fine, but to have those other benefits, it’s quite important.”

Value of Early Childhood Education

Costello and Saarikoski emphasize the profession’s undervaluation. “My staff always laugh because when someone says daycare I say ‘no, it’s childcare. We take care of the child not the day,'” Costello remarked. Positive early experiences prevent future issues like drug use, homelessness, and poverty. “Because if we’re taking care of them and making sure that they have everything they need at an early age, they’ll be able to learn and be successful,” she concluded.