Education minister Stephen Lecce gave construction workers a boost over the weekend.

In a statement on February 7, the minister announced that the province will make emergency child-care services for additional frontline workers in Toronto, York Region and Peel.

The expanded mandate, which goes into effect on February 9, will include construction workers working on essential projects that have been permitted to continue during the provincial shutdown, and transit workers who are unable to work remotely.

While students in many parts of the province are returning or have returned to in-person learning, those in Toronto, York Region and Peel won’t return to classes until February 16.

Lecce made the announcement days after his ministry agreed that children would not be allowed to return to in-person learning in the province’s three COVID-19 hot spots.

“This past week, based on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, we gave parents certainty around the planned return to in-person learning for students across our province,” said Lecce. “For working families around the province, this means that they will be able to return to work knowing their child's learning and development is continuing in classrooms safely, with new measures in place to protect students and staff. Learning in class, alongside friends and teachers, is crucial for the mental health, development, and long-term success of students."

The province has expanded its list of front line workers who are eligible for the emergency child-care programs three times since it was originally created in January. It is not yet clear why construction workers on essential projects and mass-transit workers were not included on the original list.

Access to emergency child-care services in the three public health units will end on February 12.