On scorching summer days last year, Lyndsay MacKay would show up at her 16-month-old son’s childcare center to find him in just a diaper, his skin clammy and his hair stuck to his head. He would slump in her arms, sometimes dozing off at the dinner table. MacKay acknowledged the efforts of the caregivers, who tried to keep the children cool by adding ice cubes to water tables, offering popsicles, dimming the rooms, and using cool cloths on the kids.
Despite these measures, MacKay, a mother from Toronto and a professor of early childhood education at Humber Polytechnic, expressed concerns about the children’s well-being, stating that they were merely coping with the heat and exhaustion throughout the day. She is part of a growing movement of parents, educators, health professionals, and legal advocates in Canada advocating for a maximum indoor temperature in daycares, ideally set at 26 degrees Celsius, similar to the standards applied in long-term care facilities in Ontario.
Infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children, like the elderly, are more susceptible to heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke due to their higher metabolism and less efficient sweat glands. Recognizing the signs of heat-related illnesses in young children can be challenging since they may not be able to communicate their discomfort. Dr. Kirstin Weerdenburg, a pediatrician at Halifax’s IWK Health Centre, emphasized the importance of monitoring children for signs of heat-related issues, such as fatigue, flushed skin, irritability, and difficulty walking.
Ensuring a safe environment in daycares during extreme heat is crucial, emphasized Amy O’Neil, the executive director of Toronto’s Treetop Children’s Centre. O’Neil highlighted the need for provincial and federal authorities to address high temperatures in childcare settings as a safety concern rather than a matter of comfort. She pointed out the absence of specific regulations regarding maximum indoor temperatures during hot weather in existing legislation, underscoring the importance of ensuring children’s safety in daycare facilities.
The installation of air conditioning in childcare centers can be a significant financial investment, as O’Neil noted that it cost around $40,000 to install eight air conditioners at her center in 2019. Ontario Premier Doug Ford had indicated a willingness to consider regulations on maximum indoor temperatures in daycares last year, but no concrete actions have been taken on the issue since then.
As advocates push for regulations on maximum indoor temperatures in daycares across Canada, concerns about the impact of rising temperatures and extreme heat events on children’s health continue to grow. Monitoring and addressing heat-related risks in childcare settings are critical to safeguarding the well-being of young children, especially as climate change contributes to more frequent and intense heatwaves.