A proposal has been sent to the province to pilot a Learn and Stay Program for Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) in Nipissing.
The District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board (DNSSAB) says the move is aimed at addressing critical workforce shortages that are limiting access to licensed childcare.
Officials say more than 1,300 children are currently on waitlists across the district, while licensed childcare programs report the need for approximately 140 additional qualified early years professionals to operate existing funded spaces.
They say without sufficient staffing to meet provincial ratios, classrooms remain closed despite available funding and physical space capacity.
The proposed pilot would remove financial barriers to early childhood education and training, offering free tuition and textbooks, priority access for local, Francophone, Indigenous, rural, and underserved learners, a post-graduation service commitment within the District of Nipissing, and more.
“We have the funding and the licensed spaces, but without qualified educators, those spaces cannot operate,” says Mark King, DNSSAB Board Chair. “This pilot is about growing our own workforce, supporting people to train here and build their careers here, so families can access the childcare they need.”
DNSSAB says the proposal builds on the success of the Learn and Stay model already implemented locally in Paramedic Services, where 20 paramedics recently completed their education and are now working in the District.
