Childcare benefit barely a dent in Toronto daycare costs
Posted July 21, 2015 12:41 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Toronto parents aren’t seeing much relief as the federal government rolls out its increased Universal Child Care Benefit.
The $160 a month benefit, a $60-increase from $100, will barely make a dent to the cost of daycare in the city.
According to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Toronto parents pay $1,676 a month on average for daycare for an infant.
The federal subsidy covers just 10 per cent of that.
“We will be making a lump-sum contribution to our son’s RESP,” Toronto parent Bonnie Van Tassel told CityNews.
“The amount of this cheque doesn’t cover half a month of daycare for us (at a facility which charges about 10 per cent less than a city-run daycare), so we will not see much change in our regular operating budget.”
In Quebec, meanwhile, parents stand to make a profit. With infant daycare costing $152 in cities like Gatineau and Laval, parents are making $8 a month. Quebec famously has a $7-a-day childcare policy, which was increased to $7.30-a-day in October 2014.
They’re not the only ones profiting.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer found that families without childcare expenses will actually benefit the most from the Child Care Benefit. The subsidy is for every child under the age of six, whether or not they are in daycare. Parents who make alternate arrangements, such as having a family member babysit; parents who stay home from work; and parents who receive subsidies will benefit the most, a report found.
When it comes to infant care, parents in St. Johns are right behind Toronto, shelling out $1,394 a month. Brampton is next, with fees of $1,302.
After Quebec, the next lowest infant fees are in Winnipeg. Parents pay $651 a month, partially due to Manitoba’s provincial fee cap.
