Glebe daycare receiving donation of N95 masks from local union

An Ottawa child care centre is receiving a donation of N95 masks to protect workers from COVID-19 transmission.

The Canadian Union Of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 2204 and Child Care Now Ottawa are delivering between 20 and 30 masks to staff at the Glebe Parents Daycare at 10 Fifth Ave. at 4 p.m. on Monday, January 24.

Monday! 4-5 pm we will make a delivery of some N95 masks to the staff at Glebe Parents Daycare. The provincial government could do a heck of a lot more to keep children and child care safe. Sign on CUPE 2204 and CCN-O'S letter, and join us. https://t.co/JBqNvsime3

— Child Care Now (Ottawa) (@OttawaCCN) January 22, 2022

CUPE Local 2204 president Taylor Kociszewski tells CityNews Ottawa, it's meant to show the workers support during a difficult time. 

“It's a very small gesture from the community, just to show some solidarity with the child care workers and understand that they are in very difficult working conditions right now,” Kociszewski says. “And they're not getting the support or the recognition that they need from the government at this time.”

Kociszewski says, while the Ontario government did supply the centre with some masks, it's not enough.

“The government did give them a small allocation of masks, however not enough or more than two weeks,” Kociszewski says. “Ideally, you're wearing the mask for one day, and that means five masks per person per week, so there wasn't more than two weeks worth of supply.”

Kociszewski says the government needs to do more to keep child care workers safe since they work in close contact with children under the age of five, who are not yet eligible to receive their COVID-19 vaccine.