The Heat Crisis in Child Care: Why Temperature Caps Are a Safety Necessity

While the province debates the merits of temperature caps, the reality for many children in child care is a struggle for basic survival during extreme heat, as CBC News first reported. For the most vulnerable, a lack of climate control is not a matter of comfort, but a systemic failure of safety.

**The Physical Toll on Early Learners** According to reporting from CBC News, parents and educators are observing the distressing physical impact of heat on young children. Lyndsay MacKay, a Toronto mother and early childhood education professor at Humber Polytechnic, described returning to her 16-month-old son's daycare to find him sticky, exhausted, and collapsing in her arms. MacKay noted that while educators attempt to mitigate the heat using popsicles, cool cloths, and ice cubes in water tables, the children remain sweaty and depleted, merely surviving the day.

**Medical Vulnerabilities** Medical experts warn that the biological makeup of infants and toddlers makes them uniquely susceptible to heat illness. Dr. Kirstin Weerdenburg, a pediatrician at Halifax's IWK Health Centre, explained to CBC News that children have higher metabolisms than adults, which generates more internal heat, and less efficient sweat glands.

Because babies and preschoolers cannot articulate their distress, Weerdenburg notes that caregivers must rely on behavioral signs such as irritability, flushed skin, and fatigue. In severe cases, dehydration can lead to a refusal to drink, requiring IV fluids, while extreme heatstroke can cause heart arrhythmias and the failure of organs such as the kidneys and liver.

**The Policy Gap** Advocates are now lobbying for a maximum indoor temperature limit—likely 26 C—similar to the standards already implemented for long-term care facilities in Ontario. Amy O'Neil, who serves as board chair of Toronto Community for Better Child Care and executive director of Toronto's Treetop Children's Centre, highlighted a significant gap in existing laws. O'Neil told CBC News that while the Child Care and Early Years Act in Ontario is explicit regarding minimum indoor temperatures for winter, it remains silent on maximum temperatures during heat waves.

**The Cost of Safety** Implementing these safety measures comes with a significant financial burden for non-profit providers. O'Neil reported that installing eight air conditioning units at her center in June 2019 cost between $40,000 and $47,000 (with units costing $5,000 to $7,000 each), funds drawn from the center's reserve.

Despite the urgency, political movement remains stalled. CBC News reports that while Ontario Premier Doug Ford told The Trillium in August 2025 that he would "look at" maximum indoor temperatures for children, lobbyists indicate there has been no tangible progress on the issue since that statement.