Send this page to someone via email

With the approval of the Ontario government, the City of Toronto is opening two additional licensed child-care centres to provide care for the children of essential workers who are on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

One centre will open at 34 Bathurst St. on Monday and the second at 1125 Danforth Ave. will open later this week.

These two centres are in addition to four centres that opened on March 31. The centres are located in existing city-run licensed child-care facilities and are staffed by City of Toronto child-care workers.

Toronto has seen more than 800 applications since launching the program online. The City has placed nearly 200 children in care so far.

Story continues below advertisement

It added that 71 per cent of applications were from front-line health-care workers, including Toronto Public Health and long-term care, and from first responders.

“Emergency child care services are reserved exclusively for children of essential and critical service workers identified in the Province of Ontario’s ‘List of Workers Eligible for Emergency Child Care’ who have no other alternatives,” the city said in a statement.

“To date, Toronto is the only municipality in Ontario to offer this service since provincial approval was granted. Funded by the province of Ontario, this licensed child care service is available at no cost to qualifying families, for children under age 12. Services operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week – a first for the City.”

A photo of the city-run child-care centre at 1125 Danforth Ave. in Toronto. (April 13, 2020). Bill Barker / Global News

A photo of the city-run child-care centre at 34 Bathurst St. in Toronto. (April 13, 2020). Bill Barker / Global News