Gooderham Childcare Centre

Anyone with children who lives in Haliburton County knows childcare is not easy to find here. In fact, the waiting list for licensed centre-based childcare has more than 1,451 kids on it and the average time to secure a spot is three years.That's why Amber McDuff and her husband Justin Dadic decided to take matters into their own hands and do something to help those struggling to find childcare. The couple opened Gooderham Childcare Group in early July and since then, has been doing all they can to bring more area children into their care. But there's a problem.Despite meeting all the requirements for licensing, McDuff's centre has not been included in the provincial childcare subsidy program that drops the average cost from $70 per day to $22 per day. The program, entitled Canada-wide Early Learning & Child Care, (or CWELCC), is administered locally by the City of Kawartha Lakes Social Services.McDuff and Dadic are losing about $2 thousand dollars a month because the lack of subsidies means most parents in the area can't afford the $70 per day fee. The couple opened an ice cream shop behind the childcare centre in May to offset costs. While that venture has proven both popular and profitable, it can't sustain the centre. It's a Catch-22 that is both frustrating and upsetting to the couple who simply want to help out other parents like themselves.