Over half of all provinces and territories now have child care for families for an average of $10 a day or less
February 22, 2024 Yellowknife, Northwest Territories Employment and Social Development Canada
Families across Canada know that affordable child care is not a luxury-it is a necessity. That is why the Government of Canada is working with provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners to implement a Canada-wide early learning and child care system that will bring fees for regulated child care across the country down to $10 a day on average for children five years of age and younger by March 2026.
Today, the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, joined the Honourable Caitlin Cleveland, the Northwest Territories' Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, to announce that the Northwest Territories will achieve an average of $10-a-day child care fees under the Canada-wide early learning and child care system by April 1, 2024-two years ahead of the national target.
Through a combination of funding provided under the Canada-Northwest Territories Early Learning and Child Care Agreement as well as territorial funding, the governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories are working together to improve access to high-quality, affordable and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services, with the goal of ensuring that Northwest Territories families that need or want to can access licensed child care for an average of $10 a day. Families in the Northwest Territories could save up to $9,120 a year for each child in licensed child care once fees reach an average of $10 a day.
Building a Canada-wide early learning and child care system that works for families in every region of the country is a key part of the Government of Canada's plan to make life more affordable for families, while supporting a strong workforce and growing the economy. All provinces and territories have already seen significant reductions in child care fees, with over half now offering regulated child care for an average of $10 a day or less.
To ensure more families can access affordable, high-quality and inclusive early learning and child care, the federal government will continue to work with provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners to create more spaces and support the early learning and child care workforce, which is the cornerstone of the Canada-wide early learning and child care system.
