Before and after school care in Canada, 2022

Release date: October 14, 2022 Correction date: March 3, 2023
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Correction notice

A weighting adjustment has been applied to the Survey on Before and After School Care in Canada (SBASCC). The weights for four- and five-year-old children have been updated to reflect the proportion of four- and five-year old children attending school. Previously, the weights of four- and five-year-old children represented those attending school, as well as some who were not eligible to attend school during the reference period of the survey and were therefore not in the target population.

Infographic: Before and after school care in Canada, 2022
Description: Before and after school care in Canada, 2022

Proportion of children aged 4 to 12 in before or after school care

  • Canada: 40%Note †
  • Newfoundland and Labrador: 47%Note †
  • Prince Edward Island: 43%
  • Nova Scotia: 47%
  • New Brunswick: 51%
  • Quebec: 51%
  • Ontario: 35%Note †
  • Manitoba: 41%Note †
  • Saskatchewan: 37%
  • Alberta: 34%Note †
  • British Columbia: 41%

In Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Quebec, the proportion is higher than the Canadian average.

In Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia, the proportion is similar to the Canadian average.

In Ontario and Alberta, the proportion is lower than the Canadian average.

Use of before or after school care by age group

  • 55% of children aged 4 to 5
  • 48% of children aged 6 to 9
  • 27% of children aged 10 to 12

Most common types of before or after school care arrangements (among those using care)

  1. Program in a school: 45%
  2. Care by a relative other than a parent or sibling: 25%
  3. Care by a sibling: 11%Note †
  4. Program in a daycare centre: 9%

Reasons why a parent or guardian chose the main before or after school care arrangement

  • Location: 64%
  • Affordable cost: 42%
  • Hours of operation: 38%
  • Characteristics of individual providing care: 28%Note †

Reasons for not using before or after school care (among parents of children not in before or after school care)

  • Prefer to adjust work or study schedules to accommodate care needs: 27%
  • Parent or guardian stays home or works from home: 26%Note †
  • Child can stay home alone or with a sibling: 24%Note †
  • The cost of before and after school care is too high: 23%Note †

Source: Statistics Canada, Survey on Before and After School Care in Canada, 2022.

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Copyright

Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2022

Use of this publication is governed by the Statistics Canada Open Licence Agreement.

Catalogue no. 11-627-M

Frequency: Occasional

Ottawa

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