On Friday, advocates for child care urged both federal and provincial governments to reinforce the $10-per-day initiative, coinciding with a meeting of the relevant ministers in Ottawa.
While the majority of provinces and territories have achieved an average fee of $10 per day, some have not, and targets for creating new spaces are not being met, resulting in rising waitlists. According to the federal government, approximately 154,000 new spaces have been established since 2021, falling short of the target of 250,000 by March.
Organizations like Child Care Now, which advocate for a system that is affordable, accessible, and primarily non-profit, emphasize that this is not the moment to deviate from these objectives. They argue that as the nation aims to stabilize its economy amidst global trade challenges, child care is a vital component.
“In just five years, Canada’s $10-a-day child-care initiative has delivered significant economic advantages,” stated Morna Ballantyne, executive director of Child Care Now, during a press conference in Ottawa.
“We all recognize that Canada’s economy relies on individuals, particularly more mothers, generating income and contributing taxes.”
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During the meeting, Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu engaged with provincial and territorial ministers responsible for education and early learning. A representative for Hajdu indicated that the federal government aims to ensure the national child-care initiative is effectively implemented.
“These are investments for generations that foster a robust economy, assist parents, and provide every child with an equitable opportunity,” the spokesperson, Jennifer Kozlej, noted in a statement.
“Each province and territory is tasked with creating child-care frameworks that best address the needs and priorities of their communities, including the establishment of new spaces.”
Challenges: Low Wages and Insufficient Spaces
Several provinces have been advocating for the federal government to allocate additional funding to this key program.
For instance, Ontario has indicated that it requires an extra $2 billion annually from the federal government to lower parent fees to the $10-a-day standard. The province recently obtained an additional $695 million from Ottawa for the current year, which Ontario’s Education Minister Paul Calandra asserted would maintain fees at the existing average of $19 per day, but would not allow for further reductions.
Additionally, the province has been pushing for the federal government to remove limits on the percentage of for-profit spaces under the agreement, which officials claim is obstructing the expansion of the $10-a-day initiative.
Ballantyne expressed that advocates were hoping for a more substantial federal financial commitment in the last budget, but she also believes that provinces should increase their own investments.
“We genuinely feel that many of the proposals suggesting changes to the program stem from a desire to decrease public investment rather than enhance it,” she commented.
Child-care advocates emphasize that low wages for workers present a significant challenge for the industry in recruiting staff to establish new spaces. (Mike Dotta/Shutterstock)
Advocates are also calling for better compensation for child-care employees, as many providers report that difficulty in recruiting and retaining qualified personnel is detrimental to their capability to maintain existing spaces and to create new ones.
“Parents frequently express their concerns regarding the stress of lengthy waitlists and the struggle to secure daycare placements,” stated Janet Amito, a mother of a toddler in daycare and a member of Parents for Child Care, which is part of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care.
“We can only resolve the waitlist issue if both provincial and federal governments step forward to fund a plan that offers educators fair wages and generates sufficient new spaces for all families in need.”