Although all provinces and territories are signatories to the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) Agreement, its implementation and impact vary across the country. This variation is due to provinces and territories having the authority to determine how funding is allocated, as well as differences in policy landscapes, population demographics, and funding amounts. To fully understand the national policy landscape, it's important to examine each province and territory individually
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The table below was created using data from the Childcare Resource and Research Unit's 2023 publication, Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada
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| Province or Territory | Who is Responsible for Childcare? | Amount of Money Allocated Under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) Agreement | Fees for Full-day Regulated Childcare Services for Children ages 0-5 | Number of Children ages 0-12 | Full and part-day centre spaces for children 0 – 5 years | Before and after school care spaces for children 4-12 years | Percentage of children aged 0–12 years for whom a full- or part-day space was available | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Alberta | Alberta Education | $3.8 billion from 2021-2026 | Average cost of $15 per day | 696,600 | 92,010 | 55,600 | 23% | | British Columbia | Ministry of Children and Family Development with Ministry of Health overseeing childcare licensing. | $3.21 billion from 2021-2026 | $10 per day for 8% of childcare spaces, while the remaining spaces have reduced their fees by 50% compared to 2019 levels. | 603,000 | 84,439 | 42,272 | 23% | | Manitoba | Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning | $1.2 billion from 2021-2026 | Average cost of $10 per day if using a full-day child care facility receiving operating grants | 206,700 | 24,922 | 12,942 | 20% | | New Brunswick | Department of Education and Early Childhood Development | $492 million from 2021-2026 | Average cost between $16 and $21 per day for a full day space | 96,300 | 16,376 | 16,563 | 35% | | Newfoundland and Labrador | Department of Education | $306 million from 2021-2026 | Maximum fee of $10 per day for preschool-age children in child care facilities receiving operating grants | 56,500 | 5,372 | 2,530 | 15% | | Northwest Territories | Department of Education, Culture and Employment | $51.1 million from 2021-2026 | Fees have been reduced by an average of 74% | 7,000 | 820 | 792 | 28% | | Nova Scotia | Department of Education and Early Childhood Development for childcare services for infants and preschool-aged children. Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism, and Heritage for before and after school care. | $605 million from 2021-2026 | Average fees have been reduced by $23 per day for infants and $18.25 per day for toddlers and preschool-age children. | 119,700 | 12,773 | 6,118 | 17% | | Nunavut | Department of Education | $61 million from 2021-2026 | Maximum fee of $10 per day for infants and preschool age children in child care facilities receiving operating grants | 10,000 | 1,060 | 152 | 12% | | Ontario | The Ministry of Education | $10.2 billion from 2021-2026 | Ontario does not currently have set parent fees but childcare fees have been reduced by 52.75% to a minimum of $12 per day | 1,953,500 | 194,352 | 310,703 | 27% | | Prince Edward Island | Department of Education and Lifelong Learning (DELL). | $118 million from 2021-2026 | Maximum $20 per day for infants and preschool aged children in childcare facilities receiving operating grants and $10 per day if enrolled in Early Years Centres (EYCs) and licensed family home daycare centres. | 21,600 | 4,003 | 2,629 | 31% | | Quebec | The Ministère de la Famille for centre-based and family child care. The Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement Supérieur (MEES) for before- and after-school child care for children aged four to 12 | $5.96 billion from 2021-2026 | Average cost of $9.10 per day | 1,160,100 | 225,251 | 378,093 | 58% | | Saskatchewan | Ministry of Education | $996 million from 2021-2026 | $10 per day maximum for children under six years old | 184,200 | 15,206 | 1,620 | 11% | | Yukon | Department of Education | $41.6 million from 2021-2026 | Fees have been reduced by $700 per month | 6,000 | 1,4406 | 3956 | 37% |