Parents struggle as waitlists for before and after school programs grow

With the start of the school year fast approaching, many parents are still waiting to get their children into before and after school care. For some, it leaves many unanswered questions about what they’ll do if they don’t get a spot.

Parents are struggling to get their children into the school care programs because of waitlists. One mother says she’s afraid she’ll have to leave her job to care for her children.

Lisa Evans is a single mother of two children, aged two and eight.

She says she signed up her eight-year-old son for before and after school care with the YMCA after moving to Dundas in the spring. But so far, she has been waiting patiently.

“I was told to contact the YMCA in July and find out, if I didn’t hear back, where we were on the waitlist and see if we could get a spot,” said Lisa.

But she says what the YMCA told her — left her helpless.

“When I called them mid-July, they said spaces are completely full, basically the chances of you getting a spot in September is non-existent,” she said. “I’m a single mom, I work a nine-to-five job, if I don’t get before and after school care for my son then I can’t work.”

Lisa says she spoke to her employer about the situation, but she isn’t confident they will be flexible.

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“It’s a nine to five job and if I cant work those nine to five hours, they will probably find somebody who can,” she said.

The City of Hamilton says it is aware of the waitlists that are facing many licensed before and after school programs across the city.

The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board also acknowledged that “a provincial staffing shortage in the child care industry has led to an increase in demand for services across Ontario.”

It says “ministry staff are made aware each time program demand is not met, and city staff have acknowledged the long wait lists.”

“What’s primarily driving that is the recruitment and retention challenges that we’re facing in Hamilton across the sector,” said Jessica Chase, the director of children’s and community services in Hamilton.

Chase says the city is working closely with the child care community and school boards to address the challenge.

“One of the things that we’ve actually done recently to try and address this challenge is we’ve relaunched a workforce grant for staff,” said Chase. “We were able to provide a grant to support the full cost of child care for the children of registered early childhood educators, as well as other program staff that work directly with children, as a way to reduce a potential barrier to employment.”

The city says it’s asking the provincial government for support, so it can explore possible wage increases.

But this is all small consolation for Lisa, who has only a matter of weeks to figure out what to do.

“I don’t know, I don’t have a plan,” said Lisa. “The plan is to talk to the employer to see if we can work something out, but if we cant, I will be out of a job.”

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