Ministry of Education
Early Years and Child Care Division
315 Front Street West, 11th Floor
Toronto ON M5V 3A4
TO: Consolidated Municipal Service Managers and District Social Service Administration Boards (CMSMs and DSSABs), Chiefs of First Nations with Child Care Agreements
FROM: Shannon Fuller, Assistant Deputy Minister, Early Years and Child Care Division
DATE: April 17, 2020
SUBJECT: Emergency Child Care – Expansion of Eligibility
Thank you for your ongoing partnership as we work together to provide emergency child care for health care and other frontline workers.
As you know, on March 21, 2020 the province began to work with you to support the provision of licensed child care for health care and other frontline workers, free of charge to parents. I wanted to let you know that, the province has amended the emergency order that defines the list of eligible workers to expand the list to immediately include the following individuals:
The full list of eligible workers can be viewed in Appendix A.
The province has received many requests to include additional workers on the list of those eligible for emergency child care. Additions to the list are being considered using a phased and measured approach, based on the status of the outbreak and the needs and capacity of our communities.
Please continue to determine your emergency child care planning locally, in accordance with ministry requirements and the recommendations of your local Medical Officer of Health. The ministry continues to depend on the authority and discretion that service system managers hold in order to make decisions that best support the early years and child care sector in our communities. Should you wish to make changes to your current emergency child care plan, please revise and resubmit your plan to the ministry.
The ministry is committed to working closely with all of its partners to support children and families and to keep everyone safe. We continue to put the health and safety of Ontario’s children and families at the forefront and we are basing our decisions on advice from Dr. David Williams, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health and the experts at the COVID-19 Command Table.
Thank you,
Shannon Fuller
1. An individual who is,
1.1 Individuals who work for manufacturers of pharmaceutical products and medical supplies, including medications, medical isotopes, vaccines and antivirals and medical devices.
2. A police officer as defined in the Police Services Act.
3. A member of a police force other than a police officer as defined in the Police Services Act.
3.1 4. A First Nations Constable appointed pursuant to section 54 of the Police Services Act.
4. An individual employed as a firefighter as defined in section 1 of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997.
5. An individual who is,
6. A paramedic as defined in the Ambulance Act.
7. A coroner as defined in the Coroners Act.
8. A worker in a correctional institution as defined in the Ministry of Correctional Services Act and independent contractors who supply services to correctional institutions, including, but not limited to, employees of Trilcor.
8.1 Probation and parole officers as described in the Ministry of Correctional Services Act, including institutional liaison officers, court liaison officers, individuals employed as assistant area managers and area managers of staff at probation and parole offices and the administrative and support staff at these offices.
9. An individual employed in the Institutional Services Division of the Ministry of the Solicitor General, including a person employed in a correctional institution as defined in section 1 of the Ministry of Correctional Services Act.
10. An employee of Compass Group Canada Ltd. who works at or provides services in relation to the Cook Chill Food Production Centre.
11. An individual employed in the Ministry of the Solicitor General who performs one or more of the following functions for the Institutional Services Division or Community Services Division:
11.1 An individual employed by the Ministry of the Solicitor General at the Centre of Forensic Sciences who is involved in supporting and conducting forensic testing and analysis.
11.2 An individual employed by the Ministry of the Solicitor General at the Provincial Forensic Pathology Unit.
11.3 An individual employed at the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre or at the Ministry of the Solicitor General’s Emergency Operations Centres.
12. An animal welfare inspector appointed pursuant to the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019.
13. An individual employed in the operation of,
14. Persons employed in the Direct Operated Facilities Branch of the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.
14.1 Persons, other than foster parents, who deliver or directly support the delivery of residential care, treatment and supervision to children and young persons residing in residential settings licensed under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017.
14.2 An individual employed by a children’s aid society designated under section 34 of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017 to provide services necessary for the performance of a children’s aid society’s functions, as set out in section 35(1) of that Act.
14.3 An individual employed by a service agency as defined in section 1 of the Services and Supports to Promote the Social inclusion of Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, 2008, to provide services and supports, within the meaning of section 4 of that Act, to adults with developmental disabilities.
14.4 An individual who is engaged in the delivery of services funded by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services under the Violence Against Women Support Services or the Anti-Human Trafficking Community Supports programs.
15. An individual who performs work that is essential to the delivery of core services in a municipality or First Nation community, as determined by the municipality or First Nation.
16. An individual who performs work of a critical nature in their service area or community, as determined by the Minister of Education or his delegate in consultation with the relevant service system manager or First Nation as those terms are defined under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014.
17. An individual who works in a child care centre authorized to operate pursuant to this Order.
18. An individual who is engaged in the delivery of frontline victim services funded by the Ministry of the Attorney General under the Ontario Victim Services program or Indigenous Justice Division program.
19. An individual who performs work that is essential to the operation of,
20. An individual who is employed by any of the following entities to carry out work that is deemed by the entity to be critical to the ongoing generation, transmission, distribution and storage of electricity sufficient to meet the demands of the province of Ontario:
21. An individual working in a homeless shelter or providing services to homeless persons.
22. Members, officers and special constables appointed under the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act who are working in Ontario.
23. Officers as defined in the Customs Act (Canada) who are working in Ontario. 24.Employees of the Canada Post Corporation who are working in Ontario.
24. Employees of the Canada Post Corporation who are working in Ontario.
