Eligible frontline workers in Kenora, Dryden and Vermilion Bay are now able to access free emergency childcare services due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and Ontario’s shutdown.
Eligible professions include healthcare workers, those who work in the administration or distribution of vaccines, pharmacy workers, those who work in locations with a pharmacy within, police officers, court staff, firefighters, paramedics, correctional staff and more.
The full list of Schedule 4 workers can be found HERE. The service is set to run until January 17 at the earliest, and could be extended by provincial leadership.
Parents are asked to apply for the emergency childcare service by visiting the Kenora District Service’s Board site at kdsb.on.ca, to fill out the online form. Once submitted, they will be contacted by the childcare operator in their community if space is available.
“As we evaluate capacity to be able to offer emergency child care again for eligible workers, I want to say thank you to our Early Years team and our community-based licensed child care operators as we determine the ability to operate emergency child care services across the District of Kenora,” says Henry Wall, Chief Administrative Officer of the KDSB.
“We will continue to take and implement every precautionary measure as directed by the province to ensure the safety and well-being of children, their families, and child care staff in the locations that remain open in this time of need.”
The Kenora District Services Board says due to resource challenges, emergency childcare will not be offered in Sioux Lookout, Red Lake and ear Falls for the duration of January 10 to January 17.