An emergency childcare program for school-aged children has been extended to January 22 and expanded to help more healthcare and frontline workers.
Six more licenced operators have been approved to offer free care to children, between the ages of four and 12, who are enrolled in school.
County of Lambton Children's Services Manager Melissa Fitzpatrick said the list of eligible workers is now longer than what was offered during the first week of remote learning.
"The list is quite extensive now, there is a link on our County of Lambton website, but basically it's Canada Post, electricity distribution, pharmacy, border services, just to name a few," said Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick said spaces are limited at each site, so eligible families are asked to contact the childcare provider to register and determine if space is available.
"We have ten childcare sites now across the County of Lambton, all the way from Grand Bend down to Sombra."
Emergency childcare will now be offered by the YMCA at St. Anne's School in Sarnia, the Point Edward Early Learning Centre, the North Lambton Child Care Centers at Kinwood School in Forest and St. Peter Canisius Catholic School in Watford, and Lambton Rural Child Care at Brooke Central Public School in Alvinston and Errol Village Public School in Camlachie.
The service was initially offered at London Bridge Child Care at Holy Trinity School in Sarnia, the YMCA at St. Joseph's Corunna School, Sombra Township Child Care's Riverview School Site and North Lambton Child Care at Grand Bend Public School.
More details can be found here.
Elementary schools, publicly-funded and private, will remain closed to in-person learning until January 25 to help slow the spread of COVID-19.