Newcomers come to Canada at a younger age than the average Canadian age. This means that access to affordable alternatives for childcare in Canada is vital not only for ensuring that children are cared for but also to spur social prosperity & economic growth.
Childcare participation is associated with greater labor market participation for families, specifically mothers. In Quebec, the introduction of a low-cost universal children program led to an increase in labor force participation for women, along with the use of paid childcare. The number of hours women worked with children rose by 9% from 1998 to 2015. In this, $2.8 billion was contributed to GDP.
In the absence of affordable options for childcare in Canada, newcomers might be forced to stay at home to look after their children. Unlike average Canadians, immigrants/ newcomers might not have friends/ family members to care for their kids or yet be able to afford daycare as they settle into a new place.
How To Find An Alternative For Childcare In Canada?
There are numerous alternatives for childcare in Canada, ranging from nannies, daycare centers, home daycare, & before and after-school programs.
In addition, provinces & territories with generous public funding will generally have more choices for good childcare alternatives. On the contrary, many others have fewer options.
In order to find an alternative that suits your needs, you have to begin by looking at your province’s Ministry of Education website & city’s official website. Both will provide you with a list of licensed centers. However, for unlicensed centers, carefully read the community center bulletin boards. In addition, ask parents in the community if they have any recommendations.
As a newcomer to Canada, you can also check with your local settlement service provider. Well, that’s because many of these providers offer services for childcare in Canada.
Moreover, you must note that the availability of childcare spots is limited in Canada & many centers might also have a waitlist. So, each care center will have its own list. Thus, you are suggested to get on the waiting list as soon as possible.
Costs Of Childcare In Canada
In 2022, Statistics Canada surveyed the provision of childcare services in Canada. Herein, they collected data for the amount paid for childcare, depending upon the type of childcare & the province of residence.
On average, parents paid over $7,790 per year for main full-time childcare for their children aged 0 to 5 in the year 2022. This equals to an average of around $649 per month for full-time childcare in Canada or $31 a day.
Full-time work was considered 30 or more hours a week.
When considering children who were in any number of hours of care per week, parents paid over $6,565 per year. Well, this equals to an average of $547 monthly for part-time childcare in Canada or $29 a day.
In addition, parents also paid more for children aged between 0 to 3 as compared to a child aged between 4-5. Last year, parents spent an average of $8,146 yearly for their 0-3 year old’s full-time childcare compared to an average of $6,880 for their 4-5 year olds in full-time childcare.
Further, the amount that parents paid for their child’s care varied depending on the type of arrangement.
Parents paid for the most care by a non-relative in a child’s home.
Last year, parents paid an average of $7,957 yearly for 0-5-year-old children whose child care was full-time center-based. Moreover, for a child whose main childcare was a family childcare home, parents paid an average of $26,669. Compared to a child whose main childcare was by a relative other than the parent, parents spent an average of $7,042 per year for a child of the same age attending full-time.
On the contrary, for a 0-5 year old child whose main childcare was full-time by a non-relative in the child’s home, parents paid an average of $26,669. Comparatively, for a child whose main childcare was by a relative other than the parent, parents paid an average of $3,517 per year. The actual cost is lower as many parents reported no expenses for this type of care.
Supply Of Childcare Centers Across Canada
In April 2022, 12,466 childcare centers across Canada provided full-time care to 565,000 children aged 0-5. Moreover, 152,200 children aged from 0-5 were offered part-time care.
Approximately four in every ten childcare centers were non-profit organizations. However, this number varies widely from province to province, with most non-profit organizations located in Saskatchewan & Manitoba.
Centers were more likely to have staff with post-secondary early childhood education training. Moreover, different pay rates are based on ECE training, as having trained staff has been associated with higher-quality care.
Although they serve fewer children, there are many home childcare providers. Between 2008 & 2015, there were about 268,000 self-employed childcare providers in Canada. Interestingly, almost 40% of these home childcare businesses are owned by immigrants/ newcomers.
Use Of Childcare Centers Across Canada
More than half of the children aged from 0-5 participate in childcare in Canada, although participation decreased during the pandemic.
Daycare centers are the most common type of childcare in Canada for this age group. Moreover, almost one-quarter of children using childcare are with a relative other than the parent & one in five is in a family childcare home.
Childcare use during the evening or weekend was more common among one-parent families. However, it was less common among families residing in Quebec & other Eastern provinces.