The Region of Durham is hosting an Early Learning and Child Care Showcase and Job Fair on Saturday, April 11, 2026, to address a critical shortage of child care staff in the community. The event will take place at the Region of Durham Headquarters at 605 Rossland Road East in Whitby, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The showcase aims to connect job seekers with local child care organizations and post-secondary training programs. Attendees will also have the chance to hear from industry experts, including a Student and Professional Panel at 10:30 a.m. and a keynote address at 11 a.m. by Jill Javelosa, a registered early childhood educator and author with two decades of experience in the field.
This initiative comes as Ontario faces a projected shortage of 8,500 early childhood educators by the end of 2026. While the province continues efforts to expand the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system, which aims to create 86,000 new child care spaces across the province, experts point to significant recruitment and retention challenges. Data from the College of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario indicates that the average educator in the province stays in the sector for only three years.
To support the workforce, Ontario has implemented a wage floor for eligible registered early childhood educator staff, which increased to $23.86 per hour in 2024 with further annual increases scheduled through 2026. In Durham Region, there is a specific need for staff to support the addition of 489 new community-based child care spaces allocated for 2026, building on the regional mandate to expand child care access between 2022 and 2026.
Residents interested in learning more about career pathways in this field are encouraged to attend the event to explore local opportunities and discuss the profession with current practitioners.
