The Children’s Early Years Division of the County of Wellington has launched a campaign promoting licensed home child care.
The county, which is the service manager for the child care system in Guelph and Wellington, issued a press release on Jan. 3 stating it wants to increase awareness about the benefits of licensed child care.
The campaign titled “Deserve it. Demand it” is targeted towards parents and home child care providers who need or want to offer regulated home child care. Wellington Home Child Care is the only licensed home child care agency in Guelph and Wellington, and is directly operated by the County of Wellington Children’s Early Years Division, which means there are no administration fees charged to parents or home child care providers.
“We wanted to inform parents and child care providers about the importance of licensed home child care, and all the benefits associated with it,” said Luisa Artuso, director of Children’s Early Years Division. “The safety and well-being of the young children in Guelph and Wellington County is our top priority. Parents use home child care because it better meets the needs of their family and because child care centres have long waiting lists. Only providers who have an agreement with Wellington Home Child Care have the oversight of an agency while others have no oversight.”
For parents, advantages of licensed child care include:
– home safety inspections;
– unscheduled visits;
– adequate insurance; and
– a criminal record check.
For child care providers, licensed child care includes:
– being listed in the county’s child care registry;
– additional supports and resources;
– the ability to receive the provincial enhancement grant; and
– the ability to maintain control over hours, fees and clientele.
“We wanted to reach an urban and rural audience,” commented county communications manager Andrea Ravensdale. “We decided to use traditional and modern media options to get the message out there.”
The nine-month campaign will feature ads on buses, bus shelters, a billboard, the radio, in the Newspaper and on the county’s social media platforms. For more information on licensed care in Guelph and Wellington County, visit www.wellington.ca/childcare
