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2mo ago

Ottawa Likely to Fall Short of $10-a-Day Child Care Deadline

Uneven provincial progress is straining capacity, threatening the program's April 2026 target.

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Daycare provider Josée Ross plays with children ahead of a major funding announcement at Au P'tit Monde de Franco in Fredericton in this file photo from 2023.
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'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,' says David Macdonald, a Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives economist.

Overview

  • Only Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador have reached or surpassed the $10-a-day fee so far.
  • Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta, British Columbia and New Brunswick have yet to outline concrete plans to cut daily fees to $10.
  • Parents in some cities remain paying far above the target, with median infant fees of $39 in Richmond and $24 in Halifax.
  • The report warns that fee reductions have fueled a surge in demand that is outpacing available child care spaces nationwide.
  • The federal program, launched in 2021 under Justin Trudeau, risks missing its self-imposed April 2026 implementation deadline due to provincial disparities.