TORONTO, September 16, 2026 – Four years after Ontario joined the national affordable child-care program, fees have dropped significantly, but the shortage of spaces remains unresolved. In Toronto, some child-care centres have wait-lists of more than 700 children, and many parents who sign up during pregnancy may still wait years for a spot.
Toronto resident Angela Zhu registered her child on 40 child-care wait-lists after becoming pregnant. One year after the child was born, the family received only one available spot, located far from their usual commuting route and starting later than her planned return-to-work date. It was not until this September, more than three years after registering, that they finally received a spot near their neighbourhood.
Currently, fees for children under six in Ontario who are enrolled in the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care, or CWELCC, program are capped at $22 per day. The provincial government had planned to add 86,000 affordable child-care spaces by this year, but fewer than 60,000 have been added so far.
One Toronto child-care centre said its wait-list before the pandemic was usually between 300 and 400 children. After the affordable child-care program was introduced, the number at one point exceeded 700, while the centre can only open about 50 to 60 spots each year.
Parents applying for child care also need to distinguish between CWELCC and the City of Toronto’s Child Care Fee Subsidy. CWELCC lowers child-care fees, while the municipal subsidy provides further financial support based on factors such as family income. The two programs require separate applications, and fee subsidies do not replace the need for an available child-care space.
The City of Toronto advises families who need child care to search for licensed child-care providers and register on wait-lists as early as possible. Families who need to apply for a fee subsidy can begin the process once a due date has been confirmed.（LJI by Yuanyuan）
