32 JORDANNA AND SCOTTDietrich, who operate a grain farm, laying egg barn, and custom farming operation near Tavistock, Ontario, welcomed a son in September 2022. As Jordanna prepares to return to her offfarm job in the fall of 2023 following her maternity leave, she and Scott face a common dilemma for parents: finding appropriate, accessible, convenient, and affordable childcare options. Long waitlists for licenced care options are an unfortunate reality for many parents. For farm families, the challenge is heightened by a number of factors: licenced daycare facilities tend to be centred in urban communities; home daycares can be difficult to find and often operate on a 'first-come, first-served' basis; and the reality of farm operations — early mornings, late nights, Rural childcare challenges FARM FAMILIES STRUGGLE TO FIND SUITABLE OPTIONS Mary Feldskov and schedules dictated by the season, the weather, or by the needs of livestock — means that scheduled hours of daycares, with strict opening and closing times more suited to those with typical '9 to 5' office jobs, do not always meet the needs of the agricultural community. "During the peak seasons of planting and harvest, I am running around, delivering Rural Living
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTQzODE4