Job seekers in Sarnia will have a chance to connect with local employers during the Child Care and Early Years Career Fair on April 1, 2026. The event will be held at the Royal Canadian Legion Sarnia Branch 62, located at 286 Front Street North, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The career fair serves as a hub for child care providers to recruit for various roles, including educators, assistants, and support staff. Local organizations, such as the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario, are looking to fill positions to help support the growing demand for licensed child care in the region. The Lambton Works Centre will also be on-site to provide employment support to attendees.
This event addresses a significant need for staffing within the sector. As of December 2025, there were 1,645 children aged five and younger on waiting lists for licensed care in Lambton County. While the county had 64 licensed sites and over 3,000 spaces for young children at the end of 2025, an additional 273 spaces are planned for 2026 to help meet provincial targets.
Across Ontario, the industry faces a challenge in staffing as the province works to increase the number of available child care spaces. Projections suggest the province could face a shortage of 8,500 qualified Early Childhood Educators by the end of 2026. To help with recruitment and retention, the province has implemented a wage floor for qualified educators, which is projected to reach $25.86 per hour in 2026.
This career fair is supported by an Employment Ontario project funded by the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, and the Windsor Regional Employment Network. As this is a recurring event, it highlights a continued effort by local partners to strengthen the child care workforce in Sarnia–Lambton.
