Some Waterloo Region families still waitlisted for before and after school care

Almost three weeks into the school year and some families are still on waitlists for before and after school care and it’s exposing some major gaps in the education system.

There are two separate issues at play. Last month, OneHSN, the company behind the waitlist system reported a software malfunction lead to some parents receiving an email telling them they had secured a child care spot that didn’t actually exist. 

But this is also the first year there’s been a waitlist.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) said the waitlist is due to the region’s growth.

“We've experienced unprecedented interest in the program and this was the first year we've ever had to introduce a waitlist. So it was a first for us and this is being seen across the region,” said Lema Salaymeh, WCDSB’s manager of communications, in an interview with CTV News.

It’s the same at the public board. They are seeing a rapid increase in interest in extended day care.

"This year alone enrollment in the extended day program has increased by 27 per cent we cannot accommodate that type of growth,” said Nick Landry, the superintendent of business services at the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB), during a trustee meeting earlier this week.

According to the Catholic board, the increase in demand has coincided with a serious supply issue in licenced early childhood educators.

“And there's a shortage of them. And that's happening across the province. And a lot of child care providers have experienced that challenge with recruitment,” said Salaymeh.

Early childhood educators are an integral part of the system, when it comes to extended day care.

“They are running the program. They are responsible for the programing and implementation of all aspects of that program,” said Jenn Wallage, the president of Waterloo Region DECE Union, who represents the ECE’s in public schools.

According to the DECE union, the public board has the funding to hire more but it doesn’t have enough qualified individuals applying, leading to the board only operating at 60 to 70 per cent capacity.

“They have capacity to have additional licensed spaces in their childcare in their hour before and after school care. The problem is, is there's no bodies to fill them. There are no early childhood educators to fulfill those positions,” Wallage said.

Wallage blames the staff shortage on modest pay for difficult work.

“The majority of early childhood educators have at least two jobs to make ends meet,” she said. “It is a tough job. You are on all the time.”

She said it is up to the province to step up and help and believes that’s the only way the situation will get better.

According the WRDSB, by Aug. 26, more than 5,000 children registered for before and after school care for this school year. Compared to the previous school year, that represents a 27 per cent increase.

“Demand for our high quality and affordable programs continues to exceed the number of spaces available, and some families will continue to be on waitlists until a space opens up. We will continue to look for opportunities to increase program capacity throughout the year, as staffing and facility constraints allow,” said Landry, in an email to CTV News.