Latest news with #CanadianCentreForPolicyAlternatives
CBC
11 hours ago
- Business
- CBC
Halifax has some of the highest child care costs in Canada, study finds
A new report says Halifax has some of the highest child care costs among major Canadian cities, a finding that advocates say risks forcing Nova Scotians — particularly women — out of the workforce. Released Wednesday by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, the data says Halifax has the sixth most expensive child care fees out of 35 major Canadian cities. The median fee for daycare in Halifax was $24 a day per child as of April, according to the think tank's study, more expensive than fees in Toronto, Oakville, Ottawa and all other Atlantic cities studied. Five cities in British Columbia — Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver, Burnaby and Kelowna — ranked higher than Halifax, according to the report. Kenya Thompson, with Child Care Now Nova Scotia, said families in the province are struggling to find daycare they can afford, with many parents forced to leave their jobs to care for children. "I hear so many stories of folks whose employment has been significantly disrupted," she said. Thompson said the provincial government needs to significantly invest in child care to subsidize fees and ensure parents with young children remain in the workforce. "If you don't have child care, it has huge implications for your employment, and frankly it's a gendered issue," she said in an interview Wednesday. "Women, moms are the ones who are taking time off and have to try to juggle all these different responsibilities." The report examined the progress provinces and territories are making on hitting the federal government's target of having regulated child care cost an average of $10 a day by 2026. In 2021, the federal Liberals budgeted $27 billion over five years to reach child care deals with all 13 provinces and territories. And while Ottawa succeeded in striking all 13 agreements — and even though fees have dropped significantly across the country since 2021 — the federal government is unlikely to meet its self-imposed deadline. "It's almost certain that even after the 2026 deadline passes, many parents in five provinces will be paying more than $10 a day for child care," said David Macdonald, an economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. The report says just six provinces and territories — Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador — have met or improved upon the government's $10-a-day target. Five provinces — Ontario, Alberta, B.C., New Brunswick and Nova Scotia — do not yet have plans to reduce fees to an average of $10 a day, the report says. Paul Wozney, the Nova Scotia NDP's education and early childhood development critic, said in a statement Wednesday the think tank's report raises serious concerns about the province's ability to hit the federal target. "The daily child care cost for a preschool child in Halifax is just over $22 — meaning families here are paying more than twice what parents in cities like Winnipeg, Charlottetown, St. John's and Montreal pay," Wozney said. "That adds up to hundreds of dollars a month because the (provincial) government isn't taking action to deliver more affordable child care," he added. Thompson said that while the centre's report focused on major cities, previous research by the think tank and her advocacy group show that rural parts of Nova Scotia are also short on affordable child care spaces. "The reality of the province is that many folks live in rural and remote areas, and people cannot access child care where they live," she said. In July 2021, Nova Scotia became the second province to sign a child care deal with Ottawa, totalling $605 million to fund thousands of subsidized daycare spots. Nova Scotia agreed to use the money to create 9,500 new spaces by March 2026. Nova Scotia's Department of Education and Early Childhood Development did not immediately answer questions about Halifax's child care fees or say when it expects to make $10 a day a reality. Department spokesperson Krista Higdon noted that almost 7,000 new child care spaces have been created since 2021.
CTV News
14 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Halifax has among highest child care costs across Canadian cities: new study
Crayons are seen on a table at a new child care facility operated by the YMCA, in North Vancouver, B.C., on Thursday, July 3, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck HALIFAX — A new report by a think tank says Halifax has some of the highest child care costs among major Canadian cities. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says the median fee for daycare in Halifax was $24 a day per child as of April. That puts Halifax as the sixth most expensive city for child care out of 35 major cities in the country. Halifax's median daycare fees were more expensive than those in Toronto, Oakville, Ottawa and all other Atlantic cities studied. The think tank examined the progress provinces and territories are making on hitting the federal government's target of having child care cost an average of $10 a day. Kenya Thompson, with Child Care Now Nova Scotia, says families in the province continue to struggle to find daycare they can afford. She says the provincial government needs to significantly invest in the child care sector to subsidize fees and ensure parents with young children remain in the workforce. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2025.
CTV News
18 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Six provinces, territories currently meet the federal government's $10-a-day child care target: report
A report finds Ottawa is set to miss the $10-a-day childcare target as Ontario is among five provinces without a plan to reduce childcare fees. OTTAWA — Ottawa is expected to miss its 2026 deadline to implement $10-a-day child care services across the country, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives said in a new report published on Wednesday. The analysis concluded that just six provinces and territories are meeting that fee target now. David Macdonald, an economist with the centre, said even though fees have dropped significantly everywhere, the federal government is unlikely to meet its self-imposed deadline. 'It's almost certain that even after the 2026 deadline passes, many parents in five provinces will be paying more than $10 a day for child care,' Macdonald said. 'That being said, the fee drops for parents so far have been staggering in Ontario, Alberta and Nunavut, as these jurisdictions had let fees get far too high before the federal program.' The $10-a-day child care program, announced in 2021, was a signature policy of former prime minister Justin Trudeau. The report says just six provinces and territories — Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador — have met or improved upon the government's 2026 target for $10-a-day child care. Five provinces — Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta, B.C. and New Brunswick — do not yet have plans to reduce fees to $10 a day, the report says. Cities in those provinces have the highest costs for child care, says the report — for example parents in Richmond, B.C. are paying median fees of $39 per day for infants, about four times the target fee. The federal government's goal was for fees to 'average' $10 a day, but Macdonald called that a 'get out of jail free card' that will leave parents paying more than that amount after the deadline passes. 'I think that this will become a political problem in April of 2026 when folks say, 'Wait a second, this is a $10-a-day child care program, but I'm paying $12, $17, $20 a day,'' he said. Jurisdictions like Ontario that already had high fees are seeing savings of around $1,300 per month in Toronto and $1,000 per month in the surrounding area, the report found. Macdonald said that's largely because regulations have forced prices down. 'Across the board, we saw the provinces that had the fewest restrictions on fees and let the fees really get out of control, you see really big savings when you step in and regulate those fees,' he said. Macdonald said it's unlikely Ontario and Alberta will meet the 2026 target but noted the 'big progress' in those provinces and others. Fees in Quebec have increased slightly since 2019. Macdonald said that's largely due to inflation, with the province's day fee sitting about $0.70 below the $10 target. Macdonald said that as fees drop, another problem will continue to grow — the lack of child care spaces. 'At this point, there isn't enough. The fact that fees are much lower drives a lot more demand,' he said. 'Now the real question will be, can we rapidly build those spaces so that there are enough spaces for people to actually access these more affordable prices?' Martha Friendly, who works with the Childcare Resource and Research Unit, said that to avoid 'child care deserts,' more public and non-profit child care spaces should be created countrywide. 'The expansion of the child care workforce is also key, emphasizing the hiring of more workers and the retention of existing ones,' Friendly said. 'The lessons of what works so far has been clear. We need primarily public and non-profit services, affordable set fees for parents and fair wages and good working conditions for workers.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2025. Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
CBC
19 hours ago
- Business
- CBC
Ottawa not on track to meet 2026 deadline for $10-a-day child care: report
Social Sharing Ottawa is expected to miss its 2026 deadline to implement $10-a-day child care services across the country, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives said in a new report published on Wednesday. The analysis concluded that just six provinces and territories are meeting that fee target now. David Macdonald, an economist with the centre, said even though fees have dropped significantly everywhere, the federal government is unlikely to meet its self-imposed deadline. "It's almost certain that even after the 2026 deadline passes, many parents in five provinces will be paying more than $10 a day for child care," Macdonald said. "That being said, the fee drops for parents so far have been staggering in Ontario, Alberta and Nunavut, as these jurisdictions had let fees get far too high before the federal program." The $10-a-day child care program, announced in 2021, was a signature policy of former prime minister Justin Trudeau. The report says just six provinces and territories — Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador — have met or improved upon the government's 2026 target for $10-a-day child care. Five provinces — Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta, B.C. and New Brunswick — do not yet have plans to reduce fees to $10 a day, the report says. Cities in those provinces have the highest costs for child care, says the report — for example parents in Richmond, B.C. are paying median fees of $39 per day for infants, about four times the target fee. The federal government's goal was for fees to "average" $10 a day, but Macdonald called that a "get out of jail free card" that will leave parents paying more than that amount after the deadline passes. "I think that this will become a political problem in April of 2026 when folks say, 'Wait a second, this is a $10-a-day child care program, but I'm paying $12, $17, $20 a day,"' he said. GTA sees drop significant drop in fees Jurisdictions like Ontario that already had high fees are seeing savings of around $1,300 per month in Toronto and $1,000 per month in the surrounding area, the report found. In Toronto and Ottawa, the median fee for infants is $22 per day, the report says. That's down from just under $86 a day five years ago, said Morna Ballantyne, executive director of Child Care Now, an advocacy group that was involved in the report. "In the GTA, the fees have dropped really dramatically, more than just about anywhere else because the fees were so high before the introduction of the federal program," Ballantyne said in an interview with CBC Radio's Metro Morning on Wednesday. Macdonald said that's largely because regulations have forced prices down. "Across the board, we saw the provinces that had the fewest restrictions on fees and let the fees really get out of control, you see really big savings when you step in and regulate those fees," he said. Macdonald said it's unlikely Ontario and Alberta will meet the 2026 target but noted the "big progress" in those provinces and others. Ontario to cut funding from daycares not in $10-a-day program 10 months ago Duration 2:13 Ontario child-care centres that aren't participating in the national $10-a-day program will soon lose provincial funding to offer fee subsidies to lower-income families, and their staff could see a pay cut of $2 an hour. Fees in Quebec have increased slightly since 2019. Macdonald said that's largely due to inflation, with the province's day fee sitting about $0.70 below the $10 target. Macdonald said that as fees drop, another problem will continue to grow — the lack of child-care spaces. "At this point, there isn't enough. The fact that fees are much lower drives a lot more demand," he said. "Now the real question will be, can we rapidly build those spaces so that there are enough spaces for people to actually access these more affordable prices?" A huge challenge to creating those spaces is attracting and retaining people to work at them, partly due to low wages, said Ballantyne. "If we're trying to grow a system, especially [a] child-care system where it's a very labour intensive industry ... you need a lot of people who are trained and willing to work in the sector," she said. "And unfortunately, there are many early childhood educators who are fully qualified but are unable to work in child care because the wages are so poor and the benefits so few." Martha Friendly, who works with the Childcare Resource and Research Unit, said that to avoid "child-care deserts," more public and non-profit child care spaces should be created countrywide. "The expansion of the child-care workforce is also key, emphasizing the hiring of more workers and the retention of existing ones," Friendly said.
CTV News
a day ago
- Business
- CTV News
Ottawa set to miss 2026 deadline for establishing $10-a-day child care: report
Children play at the Blessed Chiara Badano Child Care Centre in Stouffville, Ont., on Friday, May 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette OTTAWA — Ottawa is expected to miss its 2026 deadline to implement $10-a-day child care services across the country, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives said in a new report published on Wednesday. The analysis concluded that just six provinces and territories are meeting that fee target now. David Macdonald, an economist with the centre, said even though fees have dropped significantly everywhere, the federal government is unlikely to meet its self-imposed deadline. 'It's almost certain that even after the 2026 deadline passes, many parents in five provinces will be paying more than $10 a day for child care,' Macdonald said. 'That being said, the fee drops for parents so far have been staggering in Ontario, Alberta and Nunavut, as these jurisdictions had let fees get far too high before the federal program.' The $10-a-day child care program, announced in 2021, was a signature policy of former prime minister Justin Trudeau. The report says just six provinces and territories — Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador — have met or improved upon the government's 2026 target for $10-a-day child care. Five provinces — Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta, B.C. and New Brunswick — do not yet have plans to reduce fees to $10 a day, the report says. Cities in those provinces have the highest costs for child care, says the report — for example parents in Richmond, B.C. are paying median fees of $39 per day for infants, about four times the target fee. The federal government's goal was for fees to 'average' $10 a day, but Macdonald called that a 'get out of jail free card' that will leave parents paying more than that amount after the deadline passes. 'I think that this will become a political problem in April of 2026 when folks say, 'Wait a second, this is a $10-a-day child care program, but I'm paying $12, $17, $20 a day,'' he said. Jurisdictions like Ontario that already had high fees are seeing savings of around $1,300 per month in Toronto and $1,000 per month in the surrounding area, the report found. Macdonald said that's largely because regulations have forced prices down. 'Across the board, we saw the provinces that had the fewest restrictions on fees and let the fees really get out of control, you see really big savings when you step in and regulate those fees,' he said. Macdonald said it's unlikely Ontario and Alberta will meet the 2026 target but noted the 'big progress' in those provinces and others. Fees in Quebec have increased slightly since 2019. Macdonald said that's largely due to inflation, with the province's day fee sitting about $0.70 below the $10 target. Macdonald said that as fees drop, another problem will continue to grow — the lack of child care spaces. 'At this point, there isn't enough. The fact that fees are much lower drives a lot more demand,' he said. 'Now the real question will be, can we rapidly build those spaces so that there are enough spaces for people to actually access these more affordable prices?' Martha Friendly, who works with the Childcare Resource and Research Unit, said that to avoid 'child care deserts,' more public and non-profit child care spaces should be created countrywide. 'The expansion of the child care workforce is also key, emphasizing the hiring of more workers and the retention of existing ones,' Friendly said. 'The lessons of what works so far has been clear. We need primarily public and non-profit services, affordable set fees for parents and fair wages and good working conditions for workers.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2025. Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
