The County of Wellington is inviting local families and caregivers to a free public forum on May 11, 2026, to help navigate the current landscape of licensed child care. The event will take place from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Delta Hotel on 50 Stone Road West in Guelph, with an online option available for those unable to attend in person.
The forum is intended to help residents better understand the complexities of the national child care system, which has been supported by federal funding to maintain lower fees. Attendees will hear from Ashley Vanderlaan, the Director of the Children’s Early Years Division for the County, and Christa O’Connor, the President of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care.
The discussion comes at a challenging time for families in the region. While Guelph is currently the only municipality in the area projected to meet provincial child care access targets by December 2026, rural parts of the county remain behind their goals. Local officials have noted that an additional 732 centre-based spaces are needed across the region to meet future targets. Staffing shortages are also a significant hurdle, as the province faces a projected shortfall of 8,500 registered early childhood educators this year.
These local pressures are highlighted by recent service changes, including those affecting the Eramosa Learning Academy in August 2026, which currently serves 193 families in Guelph. Furthermore, families may be interested to learn that no additional federal funding will be available in 2026 to support the creation or expansion of new child care spaces participating in the national program.
Residents interested in attending the forum can find registration details at wellington.ca/EarlyYearsEvents. The venue will provide free parking for all in-person attendees.
