Lanark County is facing significant demand for lower-cost childcare, with nearly 3,000 children listed on its centralized waitlist.
County staff told council that 2,969 children were on the list as of June 30. About 78 per cent live in Lanark County, while 22 per cent live outside the county.
Director of Social Services Emily Hollington says the waitlist does not represent the number of children without any childcare, as some families may already have a space but are looking for a lower-cost Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELC) spot.
Hollington notes the goal is to get a clearer picture of the local demand for childcare as staff continue to clean up the data, because providers previously collected different information from families.
Officials say future childcare expansion will depend heavily on federal and provincial funding. There is currently no agreement in place for 2027 under the CWELC program.
Staff say they expect an agreement, but don’t yet know whether it will include funding for additional spaces
Story by Grant Deme
