Canadians know that access to affordable, high‑quality, flexible, and inclusive child care is vital for parents, families, and the economy. That is why the Government of Canada has laid out a plan to provide parents living in Canada with, on average, $10‑a‑day child care for children under six years old. This plan will make life more affordable for families, create new jobs, get parents-especially women-back into the workforce, and grow the middle class, while giving every child a real and fair chance at success.
Today, the Honourable Karina Gould, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, visited the child care centre at St. Stephen's Community House in Toronto, Ontario, to speak with parents and Early Childhood Educators about the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care System.
Parents with children under the age of six attending child care services that opt-in to the Early Learning and Child Care system will see their child care fees reduced by an average of 25 percent retroactive to April 1, 2022, saving families an average of about $2,200 per child.
The Minister highlighted that these fee reductions will be available to parents across the province whose child care providers opt into the Canada-wide system. By the end of December 2022, fees for licensed child care for children under six will be further reduced, resulting in a total reduction of an average of 50%, which could save Ontario families about $6,000 per child each year.
The time for a Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care System is now. The Government of Canada continues to work with provincial, territorial, and Indigenous partners across the country to ensure that all families have access to affordable, high‑quality, flexible, and inclusive early learning and child care, no matter where they live.
