A report prepared by the LiUNA Local 506 takes aim at the lack of appropriate child care as a barrier to workers looking to pursue or sustain careers in the construction sector.

Titled Building Up Child Care for Workers in the Skilled Trades, the report highlights a number of factors that make skilled trades work in construction distinct, but which also create challenges to accessing child care. They include early start times, overtime requirements, unpredictable shift start and end times, regularly changing worksites with differing amounts of time needed to get to work, time-limited projects for multiple contractors, unexpected last-minute changes to work schedules, and periods off work in-between jobs.

The problem is further complicated by the fact that licensed child care is generally designed around a typical 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. workday.

To address this challenge, the union launched its LiUNA Local 506 Construction and Child Care Research Initiative in 2024-25, with funding from Ontario’s Skills Development Fund.

It consulted more than 30 stakeholder organizations, partners and experts – including Local 506 members – to identify and resolve barriers to child care access for tradespeople.

The report offers 20 recommendations that are targeted to all levels of government to advance and improve child care options for tradespeople and to enable the development of specific solutions. 

They include:

• requiring child care to be available on site on provincial projects that are valued at $100 million or more,
• developing province-wide tool to share information about the availability of care centres that offer non-standard hours,
• collaborating with skilled-trades organizations and child care centres to meet the workforce’s particular needs, and
• creating union-owned child care provider organizations.

The union’s website offers more information and resources for skilled trades workers.