22.37°C Vancouver

Jul 9, 2025 3:42 PM - The Canadian Press

Ottawa set to miss 2026 deadline for establishing $10-a-day child care: report

Share On
ottawa-set-to-miss-2026-deadline-for-establishing-10-a-day-child-care-report
The $10-a-day child care program, announced in 2021, was a signature policy of former prime minister Justin Trudeau.(Photo - The Canadian Press)

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.”

Latest news

coquitlam-rcmp-announce-guilty-plea-after-lengthy-firearm-related-offence-investigation
BCJul 29, 2025

Coquitlam RCMP announce guilty plea after lengthy firearm related offence investigation

Following a lengthy police investigation into a 2021 shooting incident that occurred in Coquitlam, 36-year-old Sukhdeep Singh Pansal of Delta, British Columbia, has plead guilty to firearms related charges and has been sentenced to 38 months in prison. On January 16, 2021, at approximately 12:05 a.m., Coquitlam RCMP frontline officers responded to a report of shots fired from a high-rise building located in the 600 block of Whiting Way, Coquitlam. A woman was found with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound and was taken to hospital. The Lower Mainland District Emergency Response Team (ERT) ass
north-vancouver-rcmp-seek-publics-help-identifying-suspect-in-series-of-break-and-enters
BCJul 29, 2025

North Vancouver RCMP seek public’s help identifying suspect in series of Break and Enters

North Vancouver RCMP are seeking public assistance in identifying a suspect involved in three separate break and enter incidents. On July 8, 2025, North Vancouver RCMP received a report of a break and enter at a residential building in the 2100 block of Chesterfield Avenue, North Vancouver. CCTV footage from the building captured a male suspect gaining access at approximately 4:00 a.m. Nothing was stolen, but damage was caused to the property. On July 10, 2025, police received a second report from the same residential building. The suspect entered the premises and stole approximately $600 in c
seniors-advocate-says-b-c-will-need-almost-16-000-new-long-term-care-beds-by-2036
BCJul 29, 2025

Seniors advocate says B.C. will need almost 16,000 new long-term care beds by 2036

A report from British Columbia's seniors' advocate say the province will need almost 16,000 new long-term care beds by 2036 to meet the demands of an aging society. Dan Levitt's report tabled at the provincial legislature pegs the current shortfall at over 2,000 beds, and predicts the gap will "grow exponentially" over the next decade. It says the number of people waiting for beds has grown significantly in the past 10 years to 7, 212 in 2025, and people are also waiting longer. The average wait time for a long-term care bed had almost doubled to 290 days by 2024, according to the report, whic
vpd-investigates-strong-arm-robbery-of-senior
BCJul 29, 2025

VPD investigates strong-arm robbery of senior

Vancouver Police have released video of suspects in the alleged strong-arm robbery of an 84-year-old woman downtown on Sunday. The senior was standing near Homer and West Pender Street shortly before 11:30 a.m. on July 27 when she was approached by a man and woman who accused her of stealing from them. One suspect allegedly took the woman’s cane, while the other tried to take the purse off her shoulder. The senior held on to the purse until another person intervened. The suspects were last seen walking north on Homer Street. “Every indication suggests this senior was targeted because s
starmer-says-uk-will-recognize-palestinian-state-unless-israel-agrees-to-a-ceasefire
WorldJul 29, 2025

Starmer says UK will recognize Palestinian state unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Tuesday the U.K. will recognize a Palestinian state in September – unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza and takes steps toward long-term peace. Starmer called ministers together for a rare summertime Cabinet meeting to discuss the situation in Gaza. He told them that Britain will recognize a state of Palestine before the United Nations General Assembly, “unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, reaches a ceasefire, makes clear there will be no annexation in the West Bank, and commits to a long-term

Related News