17 April 2020 – Emergency childcare expanded for frontline/essential workers

Type of Intervention: Specific Action
Sectors Involved: Education, Health, Social Services
Intervention Categories: Legal and policy; Regulatory change; New initiatives
Level of Jurisdiction: Ontario
Lead People/Agency: Premier (Doug Ford), Minister of Education (Stephen Lecce), Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues (Jill Dunlop), Minister of Children, Community, and Social Services (Todd Smith)

Overview: The Ontario government is expanding eligibility for emergency childcare to more frontline/essential workers. This emergency order was issued to offer support to those providing essential services, including people who assist vulnerable populations, emergency response and law enforcement staff, more health and safety workers, and some federal employees. The order aims to ensure staff have access to emergency child care so they can continue to fulfill their essential roles in the community.
Full details here: https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2020/04/ontario-offers-emergency-child-care-to-more-frontline-staff.html

Type of Justification: Advice of INTERNAL government advisory committee or group, Offering support
Source of Evidence or Justification: Sub-national, Ministry of Education
Evidence/Justification: The government justifies this order as an essential service to provide to frontline workers for them to continue to fulfill their roles in the community. The Ontario Ministry of Education is working with Consolidated Municipal Service Managers and District Social Services Administration Boards to implement emergency child care centres across the province.