The province will expand eligibility for emergency childcare during the lockdown.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce says the expansion aims to help parents of school-aged children who cannot support their children’s at home learning or care because they are performing front-line work.
The announcement comes on the heels of provincial news that students in northern Ontario will resume in-person learning on Monday while those in southern Ontario will continue to learn from home until at least January 25th.
Are You Eligible?
- Front-line staff in Children’s Aid Societies and residential services
- Individuals working in developmental services, violence against women services, and antihuman trafficking
- Individuals working in victims’ services
- Individuals engaged in interpreting or intervener services for persons who are deaf or deafblind
- Individuals working in a homeless shelter or providing services to people who are homeless
- Food safety inspectors and individuals working in the processing, manufacturing or distribution of food and beverages
- Provincial court services personnel, including Indigenous court workers
- OPS staff employed in radiation protection services
- RCMP and Canada Border Services
- Canada Post workers
- Pharma and medical device manufacturing and distribution workers
- Power workers
- Non-municipal water and wastewater workers
- Education staff who are required to attend schools to provide in-person instruction and support to students with special education needs who cannot be accommodated through remote learning
- Employees of a hotel or motel that is acting as an isolation centre, health care centre, vaccine clinic or housing essential workers