In reflecting on the 2022 calendar year for Network Child Care Services (Network), this year marked a momentous turning point for families and the child care sector across Canada.

With the announcement of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Plan (CWELCC) and its fruition, Canadian families will enjoy an average fee rate of ten dollars per day for regulated licensed child care, to be realized by the end of 2025. In the meantime, reductions have begun as of 2022, and families currently pay 52.75% of the original base child care fee.

The Federal Government’s significant $30 billion investment will ensure that every child has the best start in life. In March 2022, Ontario was the final province to sign onto CWELCC changing the child care landscape. It was a fantastic year!

With this renewed hope, Network continued to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic as restrictions throughout the City of Toronto began to ease. Network managed all the necessary health protocols and established the Personal Protective App for families to allow for self-screening, in order to support the health and well-being of all children throughout Network’s programs.

Communication tools with families during the COVID-19 pandemic brought about the launch of Storypark in the summer of 2021 and expanded its use in 2022. This new app provides timely updates to all family members of children who are cared for within Network’s Centres. Educators and centre supervisors are easily able to communicate with families who have subscribed to the app. It is hoped that in the coming year, this unique app will be expanded to include Network’s affiliated home child care providers as this technology becomes commonplace throughout all child care settings within Network.

By the summer of 2022, Network formally “opted in” to the CWELCC plan as part of the requested offering from the City of Toronto Children’s Services. This secured Network’s commitment to delivering affordable child care rates to families of young children.

In refining Network’s commitment to families, the Organization embarked on a Blueprint process. The Blueprint is a comprehensive framework of the Organization’s structure, core values, guiding principles, and integral deliverable elements. This exercise permitted the condensing of a distinct message to families that encompasses Network’s purpose statement: “Partnering to provide every advantage”. By partnering with families, stakeholders, and other child care organizations to provide a complete safety net for children, Network ensures that they have all the advantages of nutrition, care, education, health, and emotional development which research and societal trends tend to suggest.

As autumn approached, Network learned the fortunate news that the Organization had been selected to operate the new St. Bartholomew Child Care Centre to be located within St. Bartholomew Catholic Elementary School. This twentieth location will emerge as Network’s largest child care site, caring for more than one hundred children per day. Network continues to appreciate and thank the Toronto Catholic District School Board as this eighth location speaks to a long and respectful collaboration.

In terms of operational development, Network’s ongoing commitment to continually assessing and elevating every aspect of the operations is a core component of our efforts to provide quality support for families and theirchildren. This is demonstrated by the various projects organized by Network’s management throughout 2022-23. To elevate Network’s programs, Network has partnered with Pedagogy Specialist Susan Menchinton who provides support and coaching for our educators in program delivery, with an eye to introducing fresh and scientifically supported program initiatives which further enhance and empower children.

In 2022, Network underwent a comprehensive IT and Cyber Security assessment conducted by BDO, to ensure that current practices and procedures are in place, to maintain and enhance its digital environment, and technology capabilities. Network has also partnered with BDO Lixar to engage in a ‘Modern Workplace Technology Assessment’ to formulate a roadmap for introducing software that simplifies its intake process and create internal protocols for quicker communication and digital record keeping for families.

Finally, to ensure organizational stability and growth, Network is in the process of initiating a Strategic Planning initiative as a roadmap for the expansion of services, with the goal of delivering quality care to a broader spectrum of families and creating a stable environment for our staff to thrive.

In continuing to plan for Network’s future growth, we would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the ongoing assistance and support and express our gratitude to the Ministry of Education, the City of Toronto Children’s Services, and the Toronto Catholic District School Board. 

We would also like to extend our most sincere thanks and appreciation to all families who have trusted Network to care for their children. Their confidence in our programs, our educators, the affiliated home child care providers and staff, has been most impactful to Network’s success.   

Finally, a very heartfelt thank you to Network’s Board of Directors and Advisors for their thoughtful insight and committed leadership, as well as all the individuals and community partners who have contributed to Network’s advancement over the past year! As our Organization reflected on 2022, we at Network remain evermore committed to delivering safe child care of the highest possible caliber throughout all our programs.