Watford Best Start to close in June

Heather Wright/The Independent

Families at East Lambton Central School in Watford will be losing their before and after school day care. And Warwick Mayor Todd Case says the township is working to change that.

Case was told by a parent Friday that Lambton Rural Child Care’s Best Start Program in Watford will end in June.

It was the first he’d hear the child care was leaving town.

When contacted by The Independent, Lambton Rural Health Care Executive Director, Lori Veroude, said she didn’t have time to answer our questions.

While he didn’t get an official explanation from Lambton Rural Child Care, Case says “from what I understand is the fact that it’s hard to get people to work in that field, and because it’s not a full time daycare, it makes it a bit of a challenge from a recruitment standpoint.”

It creates a large child care hole in the community.

The East Lambton Best Start was one of two before and after school care programs. The other, at St. Peter Canisius, already has “a huge” wait list, according to the mayor.

Case has been talking with Lambton County’s social services department to find a solution.

“We need full-time day care for the people in our community, and that will be job one moving forward,” Case says. “We want to make sure that we get this service back that we’re losing.”

Case has already talked with the county and plans to talk to the Lambton-Kent District School Board about reinstating child care programs at East Lambton saying it is important for the growing community.

“We’ve got people that are moving to our community and selling in our community based on the services that we have, and the hope for expanded services.

“And again, we do have a wait list for child care here in the community so it’s very concerning.”

Case says the township is working with the county which is collaborating closely with the Lambton-Kent District School Board to “explore all viable solutions to ensure child care services will be available in September 2025.”

The decision by Lambton Rural Child Care comes as the county looks at building a new child care centre in Petrolia, which will be run by the same organization, and is expanding services in Brights Grove.

“Sometimes that makes you feel like a little bit of a second-class citizen in Lambton County when something like this is pulled from your community and they’re going to expand resources in other places of Lambton.

“Don’t get me wrong, I support those expanding resources throughout the County of Lambton, but it does leave a bad taste in the mouth.”