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Are child care fees across Canada on course to decline by 50 per cent by the end of this year?
This report assesses which provinces and territories are on track to meet these ambitious targets and which ones might fall behind.
Game Changer provides detailed fee data for 37 cities from late 2021, just before major changes in the sector started. It calculates the federal targets for the end of 2022 for each city. Then, based on provincial and territorial child care action plans to date, it projects whether the federal government’s target of a 50 per cent reduction in fees (based on 2019 fees as the baseline) will be met.
This study draws on the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ survey of licensed child care centres and regulated home-based child care in 37 cities across Canada—the only database of its kind in the country.
About the authors
David Macdonald
David joined the CCPA as its Senior Ottawa Economist in 2011, although he has been a long time contributor as a research associate. Since 2008, he has coordinated the Alternative Federal Budget, which takes a fresh look at the federal budget from a progressive perspective. David has also written on a variety of topics, from child care to income inequality to federal fiscal policy. He is a regular media commentator on national policy issues, often speaking to the CBC, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and Canadian Press. David received his BA from the University of Windsor and his MA from the University of Guelph, both in Philosophy. Follow David on Bluesky at @davidmaccdn.bsky.social
