The Busy Signal > Union News

The $10-a-Day Child Care Divide

By Dawn Thomas-Cameron | Summer/Fall 2026

Five years into Canada’s national child care program, child care is significantly more affordable—but $10-a-day care still isn’t a reality for most families.

A new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives examined child care fees in 35 Canadian cities. In 2026, Saskatchewan is among the jurisdictions where families pay a set $10-a-day fee, including in Regina and Saskatoon.

But the picture varies considerably across the country. Infant fees range from $10 a day in Regina and several other cities to as much as $52 a day in Richmond, B.C. Preschool fees show a similar divide.

The Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) program has produced substantial savings for many families. In most Canadian cities, parents are saving $500–$1,000 a month on infant care compared with what they would have paid without the program.

However, affordability isn't the only challenge. Families continue to face wait lists, a shortage of child care spaces and educators, and complicated systems, particularly in jurisdictions where providers can charge different fees. The report also notes that Saskatchewan and Alberta have discontinued their low-income child care subsidy programs.

The report concludes that the next step is to build on the progress already made—with stable funding, more spaces, and a long-term plan to make $10 a day a maximum fee rather than simply an average.

Source: David Macdonald and Martha Friendly, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, “The $10-a-day divide: Child care fees in Canada in 2026,” August 19, 2026.