With federal daycare program at risk, pressure is on for London, Ont., parents looking for child care

Five years after the launch of Canada’s $10-a-day daycare initiative, parents in London, Ontario, continue to face extreme difficulty securing childcare spots despite the promise of reduced fees. The Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) program, which currently lowers Ontario fees to an average of $19 per day, faces an uncertain future as provincial officials call for increased federal funding to maintain stability. This shortage and financial uncertainty are creating significant barriers for parents attempting to return to the workforce, highlighting systemic issues in childcare accessibility and educator retention.

The CWELCC program, designed to transition toward $10-a-day childcare, is currently operating under a one-year extension in Ontario after its original expiration date of March 31. Emma Testani, a spokesperson for Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra, stated that the long-term success of the program is at risk without a significant increase in federal funding commitments. For local providers like Chelsea Green Children’s Centre, the end of the subsidy would be devastating, potentially forcing daily fees to jump from $22 back to $45. This financial shift would place an unsustainable burden on families already struggling with the rising costs of groceries and fuel.

Beyond the funding crisis, the sector is grappling with a severe lack of available spaces and massive waitlists. Margaret Cereghini, registrar at Chelsea Green, reports that while their waitlist has dropped from a peak of 2,000 families, they still have 450 families waiting for a spot in their 114-capacity facility. Parents like Sura Alqaseed have applied to as many as 25 daycares over two years with no success, often finding themselves hundreds of positions deep on waitlists. Some parents, such as Christopher Labelle, are forced to drive 45 minutes outside the city to find any available care, illustrating the geographic gaps in service delivery.

The crisis is further compounded by a shortage of registered early childhood educators (ECEs), which providers cite as a primary barrier to expanding capacity. To address this, the Ontario government has introduced a workforce strategy focused on improving wages, working conditions, and career development to attract and retain staff. However, for parents like Alqaseed, the immediate lack of care threatens their ability to return to work, creating a cycle of financial instability. The situation underscores a critical juncture for the childcare sector, where the dual challenges of funding sustainability and workforce recruitment must be resolved to meet the high demand for affordable care.