During the peak of summer last year, Lyndsay MacKay would often find her 16-month-old son at daycare in a diaper, with sticky skin and hair stuck to his head. The child would be exhausted and sometimes even fall asleep during dinner. Despite the educators’ efforts to cool the children down with ice cubes, popsicles, dimming the rooms, and using cool cloths, MacKay felt that the kids were still struggling to cope with the heat.
As an early childhood education professor at Humber Polytechnic in Toronto, MacKay is part of a growing movement advocating for a maximum indoor temperature of around 26 degrees Celsius in daycares across Canada, similar to the standards set for long-term care facilities in Ontario.
Infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children are more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion and heatstroke due to their higher metabolism and less efficient sweat glands, making it harder for them to regulate their body temperature. Recognizing the signs of heat-related issues in children can be challenging as they may not be able to communicate their discomfort effectively.
Dr. Kirstin Weerdenburg, a pediatrician at Halifax’s IWK Health Centre, emphasized the importance of observing children for signs such as fatigue, flushed skin, irritability, and difficulty walking, which could indicate heat-related distress. In severe cases, dehydration can lead to organ failure and other serious complications.
Amy O’Neil, the executive director of Treetop Children’s Centre in Toronto, stressed the need for air conditioning in daycares not just for comfort but for the safety of the children. Despite the high costs involved, O’Neil believes that regulating indoor temperatures during extreme heat should be a priority for daycare facilities.
While Ontario Premier Doug Ford had mentioned considering maximum indoor temperatures in daycares, there has been little progress on implementing such regulations. The lack of clear guidelines on indoor temperature limits in childcare facilities across Canada has raised concerns among parents, educators, and health advocates.
Efforts to address heat-related challenges in daycares are gaining momentum, with calls for setting specific temperature thresholds and ensuring adequate cooling systems to protect children from extreme heat. As climate change continues to bring hotter summers, the need to prioritize children’s safety and well-being in daycare settings becomes increasingly urgent.