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Canadian two-earner families are facing a serious crisis concerning daycare costs for their children. The Canadian center For Policy Alternatives has reported that no less than 27 Canadian cities have experienced a five percent increase in day care costs since last year.
Day care rates going up so fast hurt the cash-strapped Canadian working families. Some families are having to consider the cost effectiveness of that second income, especially if there are more than one child in the family needing day care.
Which Canadian City Has The Most Expensive Day Care?
The most expensive daycare is found in Toronto. There, a couple with two children under five years old can pay as much as $28,300.00 per year in day care costs. For the average family, that is as much as 48 percent of their family income. Other cities with high daycare rates are:
- St. Johns
- Vancouver. The monthly rate for infants under 18 months is $1,225.00 per month.
- Vaughan
- Markham
- Burnaby
- Calgary. The monthly infant daycare rate is $1,075.00
Families in these cities not only have to contend with high daycare rates but a shortage of quality daycare providers. They are on waiting lists for months for the better, government-approved providers. Many are forced to find unlicensed home day care providers through word of mouth.
Which Cities Have The Lowest Daycare Rates?
The Quebec cities have lower rates due to caps on daycare fees at $174.00 per month for infants and subsidies.
- Galineau
- Quebec City
- Laval
- Montreal
- Longueuil
Even though the rates decrease as children get older, the parents have a huge expense similar to a second mortgage to contend with if both are to continue their careers. Because of this situation, many parents are having to cut expenses in other areas of the family budget or take second jobs or do freelance work in the evenings.
Some couples are choosing to have one parent take time off from their career to care for infants until they are older. Since day care can eat up 48 percent or more of one parent’s income, this can make financial sense.
The problem with this solution is that the stay at home parent has to interrupt their career for enough time to affect their chances of advancement when they attempt to re-enter the workforce.
The Cost of Daycare Has Become a Significant Campaign Issue In Canada
Canadians are calling for better government policies in regards to the cost and availability of daycare for Canadian couples who both need or want to work.
1. The NDP called for more day care alternatives at more affordable daily rates.
2. The liberals called for a combination of universal childcare benefits and social assistance with child tax credits.
3. The conservatives liked the option of sending working families a monthly check of $160.00 per child to offset daycare costs. The problem with this is that daycare is so much more expensive than the amount of the subsidy checks.
This daycare issue is one that Canada is struggling to find answers to. In the meantime, families who have two earners are suffering under huge daycare costs. This issue eats into the time parents can spend with their children and the whole family’s quality of life. Added to this is the shortage of daycare workers because of low wages. For more helpful information on expensive daycare, go to the website.
