By the Numbers: The rising cost of child care in Canada

Ottawa – May 23, 2018 – A recent study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) reveals that child care fees have risen faster than inflation over the last three years – increasing by as much as 20 percent in provinces where maximum fees for child care are not regulated. Below is a brief breakdown of the rising cost of child care in Canada.

$21,096

Toronto is home to the highest median child care fees for infants in Canada at $1,758 per month, or $21,096 annually.

$1,452

Toronto-area suburbs Mississauga and Vaughan, Ontario are not far behind Canada’s largest city with median monthly fees hovering at $1,452 and $1,415, respectively.

21.4%

Since 2014, the average fees for preschool child care have risen faster than the rate of inflation. Toronto has seen the largest preschool fee increase in Canada at $214 per month, constituting a 21.4 percent increase.

$168

Montreal has one of the lowest monthly child care costs in the country, with average fees of $168 per month thanks to Quebec’s subsidized child care program.

$6

A report published by the Conference Board of Canada argues that for every dollar spent on early childhood education programs, the economy gains roughly $6 in economic benefits.

42%

Nearly half of all Canadian children between 2 and 4 do not have access to some sort of education program. This stands in stark contrast to other developed nations such as Belgium, Germany, Croatia, Ireland, and France, where that number is only 10 percent of all children.

85%

Since Quebec implemented a subsidized child care program in 1997, the workforce participation rate for women in the 20 to 44 age range has risen from 76 to 85 percent – the highest increase in the country over the last two decades.

Sources: “Time Out: Child care fees in Canada,” The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 2017. “Ready for Life: A Socio-Economic Analysis of Early Childhood Education and Care,”The Conference Board of Canada, 2017.