One hundred eighty-one additional children in Northumberland will have access to licensed child care thanks to an expansion initiative to increase care in three high-needs areas.
In a release, Northumberland County says provincial-, municipal- and provider-partners and families gathered at the new Canton YMCA Child Care Centre in Port Hope – the last of four new child care facilities to open this year – to mark the major milestone.
The four new centres are:
- Canton YMCA Child Care Centre: 49 new child care spaces, anticipated to open end of September, 2025, located at 5325 County Rd 10, Port Hope – operated by YMCA Northumberland.
- Ganaraska Child Care – Riverside site: 70 new child care spaces, opened January 2, 2025, located at the former Ruth Clarke Activity Centre at 81 Mill Street South, Port Hope – operated by Ganaraska Child Care.
- Warkworth YMCA Child Care Centre: 47 new child care spaces, opened January 13, 2025, located at 161 Old Hastings Road, Warkworth – operated by YMCA Northumberland.
- Cobourg East YMCA Child Care Centre: 15 new child care spaces, opened January 20, 2025, located at the Northumberland Centre for Individual Studies 780 D’Arcy Street, Cobourg – operated by YMCA Northumberland
The county says that with the addition of the spaces, along with 10 new spaces in Brighton in 2023 and 35 existing spaces converted to the new funding model, the county is on its way to achieving the provincially-set 2026 target of 245 additional child care spaces funded under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) program.
“This is a significant milestone for Northumberland County in enhancing access to affordable, high-quality childcare for local families,” says Member of Provincial Parliament for Northumberland—Peterborough South David Piccini in a release.
“The addition of 181 new childcare spaces reflects our shared commitment — both locally and provincially — to supporting families and early years providers. Through investments made under the CWELCC program, we are making meaningful progress toward building a more accessible childcare system for all.”
“Child care is more than a service – it is a foundation that allows families to thrive and communities to grow,” says Warden Brian Ostrander in the release.
“With 181 new spaces across Northumberland County, we are taking a significant step toward our goal of 245 new spaces by 2026. This expansion will make a real difference for families who have been waiting for access to the high-quality, inclusive child care they deserve.”
Thursday’s event was celebrated at the Canton facility, where families and children joined officials in a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
You can track Northumberland County’s performance in delivering on child care expansion efforts by visiting our online performance dashboard at Northumberland.ca/Dashboard.
