NEWS RELEASE
COUNTY OF SIMCOE
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County of Simcoe Warden George Cornell proclaims Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021 to be Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day in recognition of the education, dedication and commitment of child care workers to children, their families and quality of life of the community.
Across Simcoe County, over 1,500 staff work in a total of 198 licensed child care sites, with a system capacity of over 10,000 licensed spaces. The County of Simcoe is the Child Care Service System Manager for the region including the cities of Barrie and Orillia. In addition to the 198 Licensed Child Care sites, the System includes three special needs resourcing agencies, and 39 EarlyON Child and Family Centres located across the county.
In addition to proclaiming the 2021 Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day, this year the county is providing lawn signs for each child care worker and early childhood educator, intended to acknowledge their important contributions to children and families across the region.
We hope that educators will proudly display their signs, resulting in a host of colourful lawns throughout Simcoe County! The signs are being delivered to licensed child care sites, special needs resourcing agencies and EarlyON Child and Family Centres with a request that each organization display its sign at its respective location.
The signs have been printed in either English, French, or Ojibway, to reflect the diversity of peoples and programs comprising the sector.
County of Simcoe is composed of 16 member municipalities and provides crucial public services to county residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.
“Thousands of parents in Simcoe County rely on high-quality child care, allowing them to participate in the workforce and help grow our local economy,” said Warden George Cornell. “This annual Appreciation Day is an opportunity to thank the Child Care Workers and Early Childhood Educators who provide this valuable service to our families. We are truly grateful for their significant efforts throughout the pandemic, which have assisted so many families who relied on safe and nurturing care for their children.”
“These programs are staffed by caring professionals who understand the developmental needs of children, and the practical needs of their families,” said Jan Janssen, Director of Children Services for the County of Simcoe. “Quality licensed child care is not only good for children, but additionally allows for parental participation in the paid work which contributes to the local economy. On October 21, please join the county in recognizing and appreciating the important work of Child Care Workers and Early Childhood Educators across Simcoe County.”
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