Survey to chart future of child care in Waterloo region

Parents are being asked to offer their advice to improve Early Years Centres in the region.

An online survey asks parents what programs and services the child and family centres need, where they should be located, as well as about drop-in programsand programs that are specific to diverse cultures.

Barb Cardow, the director ofchildren's services with the Region of Waterloo, said they're speaking to parents because they're the experts.

"We are looking for consistency in how we provide services and yet each area is given the flexibility to plan locally so that we can respond to the local needs," Cardow said.

"That's why we are doing a survey, to [be] informed on what those local needs are."

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Cardow said they want to hear from parents who use their services as well as parents who don't, because they want to better understand problems or limitations those parents might be experiencing when accessing programs.

The survey will provide the region with some local direction as the province transforms all child and parent programs from the Ontario Early Years Centres to Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres.

The online survey will be available online until April 4.