Growing Need for Quality Child Care
Child care is critical for
early development, supporting
workforce participation, and boosting economic productivity (Hinsliff,
2024). Globally, the demand for quality care is increasing, especially
for children under three years old, as family structures and female
labor participation evolve. Yet, over 350 million children in low- and
middle-income countries face unmet needs (Behbehani et al., 2024).
Child Care in Canada
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Canada’s child care spaces expanded from under 200,000 to 1.4 million between 1980–2019 (Cleveland, 2022).
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Despite this growth, many Canadian families still face high costs, staff shortages, and long waitlists (Statistics Canada, 2023).
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The government’s $27.2 billion investment aims to reduce fees to $10/day by 2026, emphasizing child care as national infrastructure (Charters & Findlay, 2024).
Family Child Care
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Family Child Care (FCC) offers personalized, affordable care, especially for smaller families (Eckhardt & Egret, 2020; Herman et al., 2021).
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However, FCC providers face low wages and sector instability, with a significant drop in providers in countries like the U.S. (Herman et al., 2021).
Balancing expansion with quality and
affordability remains crucial for the future of child care (Behbehani et
al., 2024; Government of Canada, 2022).
