Child Care Waitlist Snapshot: Peterborough

Where the data comes from

This data is retrieved from waitlist information from the OneHSN Centralized Waitlist.

Applications count every request submitted. Families often apply to more than one child care program, so the same child may be counted more than once.

Children count each child only once, even if the family applied to multiple programs. Unless stated otherwise, the numbers provided refer to children, not total applications. 

Applications by Preferred Start Date

Applications by Age Group

Licensed Child Care Capacity

Note: The number of licensed spaces does not reflect the true operating capacity of the child care centres, as operating capacity is dictated by availability of qualified staff (in order to meet required staff-to-child ratios).

Licensed child care data is gathered from the Child Care Licensing System (CCLS) maintained by the Ministry of Education.

Summary

The number of children on the waitlist was 5% lower in September 2026 than in March 2026. This decline reflects the expected seasonal transition as many children enter the school system. Despite this decrease, the need for licensed child care continues to exceed available spaces. Nearly 50% of the applications have preferred start dates that have already passed, and the demand for infant spaces remains particularly high.