JACOB HESPELER CHILD CARE CENTRE

  • Established in 1986.
  • Non-Profit charitable organization able to issue tax receipts for donations.
  • Operates ten high quality innovative child care programs in Waterloo Region serving children and their families.
  • Provides services for children from Infant to 12 years of age on a full time and/or part time basis.
  • Our new location in South West Kitchener, Janet Metcalfe Child Care Centre, is now open and offering Infant, Toddler, Preschool and Before and After School Care along with PD Days and Summer Programming.
  • Two of our current locations will be expanding in the next year to offer Infant care as well as additional Toddler and Preschool spaces. 

Site Locations:

Jacob Hespeler Child Care Centre Head Office -  (located in Elmira at Riverside Public School)

  1. Westvale Child Care Centre - Waterloo (co-located with Westvale Public School)
  2. Saginaw Child Care Centre - Cambridge (co-located with Saginaw Public School)
  3. Lackner Woods Child Care Centre - Kitchener (co-located with Lackner Wood Public School)
  4. Millen Woods Child Care Centre – Waterloo (co-located with Millen Woods Public School)
  5. Janet Metcalfe Child Care Centre - Kitchener (co-located with Janet Metcalfe Public School)
  6. Riverside Child Care Centre - Elmira ( co-located with Riverside Public School )
  • Run by a voluntary Board of Directors made up of parent, community and school board representatives.
  • Licensed by the Ministry of Education.
  • Operates under the strict guidelines of the Province of Ontario’s Ministry of Education

Current operating funding sources:  

  • 82.88% Parent fees
  • 17% Regional Grants
  • 12% donations 


  • Provides child care space for all children including those from lower socioeconomic circumstances ~ fees are subsidized by the Region of Waterloo.


  • Our philosophy is inspired by the preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy which are considered by many experts as the best child care systems in the world.


  • Curriculum is child centered and inquiry based. Educators ask questions; discover children's ideas, hypotheses and theories and provide enriching opportunities for discovery and learning.


  • Professional staff are warm and nurturing Registered Early Childhood Educators whom are committed to life long learning.

“All of the staff are fantastic and very responsive to questions and needs” --- Parent Survey 2013

All Jacob Hespeler Child Care Centres policies, forms and feedback processes are accessible to people with disabilities and we will arrange to provide accessible formats or communication support upon request.