• $7 
  Cost of child care per day in Québec
• $18 
  Cost of child care per day in Manitoba
• $40 - $60
  Cost of child care per day in Ontario

The Problem

The current child care system in Ontario has placed a massive financial burden on parents who struggle to find affordable, high-quality child care.

• Parents in Ontario pay approximately $10,000 to $15,000 per year for child care, per child.
• In Toronto alone, there are 22,000 children on the wait list for child care subsidies.

Student-parents in particular face many barriers in accessing child care:

• Child care costs must be paid on top of their own tuition fees.
• International students, as well as full-time and part-time students, are not eligible for most provincial child care subsidies.
• Without child care access, student-parents must sometimes choose between attending class and caring for their children.

Students Respond

The Federation works closely with the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care (OCBCC), an advocacy group working to secure funding for universal high-quality, affordable and accessible child care in Ontario. Together with the OCBCC, the Federation advocates for a universal child care system that prioritizes the needs of children, parents and students.

The Solution

We must ensure universal access to affordable child care so that all children have the opportunity to learn and grow in a licensed child care space, while their parents complete their education. By providing child care at an affordable rate, student-parents who attend college or university will be able to study without worrying about securing a safe and accessible space for their children.

In order to do so, students are demanding that political parties commit to:

• An increase in licensed child care spaces.
• A childcare system that serves children from childbirth to kindergarten.
• A significant reduction in child care fees.
• The inclusion of all students in eligibility criteria for child care subsidies.

Download 'Child Care' Leaflet

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Fairness for students is a universally affordable child care system that invests in high-quality and accessible early learning environments.