Northumberland County council has approved a new five year Early Years Services Plan focused on expanding affordable child care, improving access to services and supporting growing demand from families across the region.
Council reviewed and approved the plan Wednesday after first receiving findings and recommendations earlier this month. Northumberland County Early Years Services Plan report
The plan, titled “Growing Together in Northumberland,” will guide early years and child care priorities from 2026 through 2030.
County officials say the strategy responds to changing community needs while building on major progress achieved during the previous planning cycle.
According to the report presented to council, Northumberland has added more than 1,400 licensed child care spaces through the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care program, while also expanding EarlyON programming and introducing online child care subsidy applications.
The county says workforce development initiatives and improved data systems have also helped strengthen local service delivery.
The new plan is organized around five key priorities including affordability, service access, workforce development, inclusion and information sharing.
County staff noted that Northumberland’s young child population continues to grow and is expected to increase further in coming years, creating additional pressure on child care capacity and waitlists.
The strategy includes plans to improve access to affordable child care across both urban and rural communities while continuing partnerships with municipalities, agencies and local service providers.
Officials say the plan will be updated annually to reflect changing community needs and future provincial policy direction.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
