News Release
May 14, 2020

Child care service at Jesse Ketchum Early Learning and Child Care Centre, one of the licensed child care centres that provides care for the children of essential and critical service workers, resumed today. The centre suspended service at the end of April due to a COVID-19 outbreak amongst some staff and children.

Toronto Children’s Services is taking a phased approached to reopening the centre. Three rooms opened today, which can accommodate up to 21 children in total. In the coming weeks, an additional two rooms will be open to bring the capacity of the centre to 30 children. Child care will only be available five days a week, from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

In addition to existing masking policies, staff will be required to wear surgical masks when a two metre (six feet) distance cannot be maintained. Daily screening of children and staff, increased disinfection, reduced group sizes and limiting the number of people in the centre will continue as Children’s Services works with Toronto Public Health on ongoing reviews of all of emergency child centre practices.

While service was suspended at the centre, Children’s Services conducted a deep clean of all rooms and entryway and performed infection control audits at the remaining six emergency child care centres.

Prior to resuming service, the division worked with Toronto Public Health to ensure that all health and safety policies and procedures would be followed, including incorporating updated guidelines from the Ministry of Health. All staff returning the facility were required to provide a clearance letter from Toronto Public Health. Staff have also been retrained to ensure full compliance with all health and safety policies and procedures.

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