Affordable childcare: what happens when mom or dad can’t afford childcare?

February 10 2022

If you have a child or are in the process of family planning, you know just how expensive it can be to access high-quality childcare in Ontario. The reality is, there simply are not enough licensed childcare facilities in Ontario to support the growing number of parents who can’t afford not to work while raising a family.

Here is how much childcare actually costs in Ontario…

Ontario has the highest cost of childcare, which varies depending on the area in which you live. If you live in Toronto or other cities in the GTA, you can expect to pay as much as $1,774 every month to send your infant (2 years old or younger) to a licensed childcare center for full-day care. This cost only minimally decreases as your child gets older and becomes more independent.

What about childcare subsidies provided by the government?

$21,288 is completely unaffordable for most Canadian families. In Ontario, you may qualify for some government support. Families in Niagara can estimate their monthly childcare costs using this calculator. However, we did some math for you to show the reality of childcare for families scraping by.

With the new minimum wage in 2022 posted at $15/hour, a two-parent household could make upwards of $51,000 before taxes, if both parents work full-time. This does not factor in the financial loss mothers experience while on maternity leave. According to the Monthly Parental Contribution calculation, for even just a single child, this family can expect to pay $453/month* to send their child to childcare. That’s $5436 per month for just one child – over 10% of this family’s income will go towards childcare.

Meanwhile, in Niagara, we know the cost of living for a family of four is $71,000 a year.

This family does not have room in their budget to…

… pay down debts (OSAP, credit cards, car payments)

… save for their child(ren)’s post-secondary education

… save in preparation for an emergency

… save for down payment on a house

This family will continue to live paycheck-to-paycheck, even with full-time work.

Childcare is unattainable, now what?

When a family is scraping by each month, childcare becomes a luxury. Someone needs to stay home with the children – typically that person is mom. And, as a result, the entire family suffers without the option of having two working parents. The family continues to scrape by, mom has no options for pursuing her career goals, and the whole family is one missed paycheck or vehicle breakdown from losing their housing and other basic necessities.

We need a better solution – one that allows mom to pursue her career goals, to provide for her family, and set her children up for success. One way we can do this is with the Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. Ontario continues to be the only province yet to sign on to this agreement which would allow for $10 a day childcare. Together, we can advocate for affordable childcare by contacting our local MPPs, asking our MPP candidates to prioritize affordable childcare in their platforms, and making this issue part of your voting plan at the provincial polls next election.