In Russell, Ontario, the Childcare Waitlist Is 3 Times Larger Than Enrollment. For Infants, It Is 28 Times.

A municipal report presented to Russell Township Council on June 22, 2026 contains a set of numbers that reframe what the childcare waitlist crisis actually looks like on the ground. Across the Township of Russell’s three municipal childcare centres, 1,994 children are currently on waitlists. Total enrollment across those same three centres is 652 children. That is approximately three children waiting for every one child enrolled. For infants, the ratio is far worse.

The Infant Waitlist Is Not a Line. It Is a Wall.

At St. Jean / La Croisée Childcare, there are 10 licensed infant spaces. All 10 are filled. The waitlist for those 10 spaces has 197 children on it. That is nearly 20 children waiting for every infant spot currently in use.

At Saint Joseph Childcare, the situation is more acute. Ten licensed infant spaces, all filled. 281 children on the waitlist. More than 28 children waiting for every one spot. A family registering their infant in Russell today is not joining a line. They are joining a pool so large that the concept of a line barely applies. These are not families who have not tried hard enough. They are families in a system where the licensed capacity for infant care in Russell amounts to 20 spaces, and the stated demand is 478 children.

Physical Space Is Now the Constraint, Not Just ECE Staff

The Russell report identifies two separate constraints holding back childcare expansion, and they are different problems requiring different solutions.

For early childhood programs including infant, toddler, and preschool, the limiting factor is physical space. The report states clearly that all usable premises within existing school facilities have been fully optimized. There is no room to add new groups regardless of demand or funding. Preschool programs at all three centres are operating at maximum licensed capacity, not because families are not registering, but because the rooms do not exist to expand into. For before and after school programs, the constraint is staffing. These programs are not at full capacity, but the gap is being driven by ongoing challenges recruiting and retaining staff for part-time split-shift positions, the same ECE workforce challenge affecting centres across Ontario.

CWELCC Has Made Care More Affordable. It Has Not Made It More Available.

One of the clearest demonstrations of what CWELCC has and has not accomplished appears in the Russell fee data. In 2021, infant care in Russell cost families $50 per day. By 2025, the fee had fallen to $22 per day under the CWELCC program administered by the United Counties of Prescott and Russell. Toddler care fell from $36 per day in 2021 to $18.90 in 2023, where it has remained stable.

These are meaningful reductions for the families who have access to care. But the Russell waitlist data shows what happens when affordability improvements run ahead of supply expansion. Lower fees drove higher demand into a system where the number of licensed spaces, particularly for infants and toddlers, has not kept pace. The Township is now undertaking a Childcare Services Viability Study to identify future opportunities, including the potential use of municipal facilities to accommodate new spaces. That work is necessary and important. It does not help the family whose mat leave ends next month.

What Russell Families Can Do While the Study Is Underway

The waitlist data in Russell reflects the same structural gap that exists across Ontario: licensed spaces exist that are not fully used because of short-term vacancies from schedule changes, family transitions, vacations, and temporary absences. These openings do not appear on waitlists. They are real-time opportunities that open and close without any efficient way to reach the families who need them.

ChildSpot is a new option for Russell and Eastern Ontario families. The app shows real-time availability at licensed Ontario childcare centres. Parents search by date, location, and age group and see only centres with actual openings right now. Every listing is verified and holds an active licence with the Ontario Ministry of Education. CWELCC-enrolled centres offering reduced fees are clearly labelled so families can filter by subsidy status when searching. When a parent finds a spot that works, they book and pay securely through the ChildSpot app. No phone calls. No voicemails. Confirmed in minutes.

The Township of Russell’s report is a precise and honest accounting of a system under pressure. Staff have grown enrollment by 115 percent at one centre in three years. They have raised ECE wages significantly to retain staff. They are commissioning the studies needed to plan for the future. The 1,994 families on the waitlist right now cannot wait for that future to arrive. ChildSpot is a tool for today.

Search available spots at licensed childcare centres near Russell and across Ontario at app.childspotapp.com, or download the ChildSpot app on iOS. Free to search. Book in minutes.

Source: Township of Russell. (June 22, 2026). “Municipal Child Care Services Update.” Report PR-2026-13. Prepared by Céline Guitard, Director of Parks and Recreation, Sonia Blanchard, Daycare Supervisor St-Jean/La Croisée, and Jami-Lee Séguin, Daycare Supervisor Saint-Joseph/St. Mother Teresa. Presented to Russell Township Council, June 22, 2026.

Full report available at: https://russell.civicweb.net/filepro/documents/42032/