Child-care advocates are urging the federal and provincial governments to enhance the $10-per-day child-care system, emphasizing the importance of meeting space creation targets and expanding the program nationwide. While progress has been made with about 154,000 new spaces since 2021, falling short of the 250,000 goal by March, advocates stress the economic benefits of accessible child care amid global trade challenges.
During a meeting in Ottawa, Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu highlighted the significance of investing in a sustainable child-care program. Each province and territory is encouraged to tailor their child-care systems to address local needs, including space availability.
Some provinces, like Ontario, are advocating for increased federal funding to reduce parent fees to $10 a day. Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra secured an extra $695 million from Ottawa to maintain current average fees at $19 a day. However, challenges persist, such as the need to lift restrictions on for-profit spaces to further develop the $10-a-day program.
Advocates are also advocating for better wages for child-care workers to address recruitment and retention issues, which impact the availability of child-care spaces. Parental concerns about lengthy waitlists highlight the urgency for government support in funding fair wages and expanding child-care services to meet the needs of families across the country.