Child care arrangements for children 0 to 5 years, 2023
Description: Child care arrangements for children 0 to 5 years, 2023
In 2023, just over half (56%) of children 0 to 5 years were in child care, up from 52% in 2022, but lower than in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic (60%).
Proportion of children 0 to 5 years in a licensed or unlicensed child care arrangement, Canada
2019 60%
2020 52%
2022 52%
2023 56%
Participation in centre-based child care surpassed pre-pandemic levels, but home-based child care was still lower than in 2019.
Proportion of children 0 to 5 years in a child care arrangement, by type, Canada
Centre-based child care
2019 31%
2023 34%
Home-based child care
2019 12%
2023 9%
Over one quarter (26%) of children who were not in child care were on a waitlist, up from 19% in 2022.
Proportion of children 0 to 5 years not in a child care arrangement and on a waitlist, Canada excluding the territories
2022 19%
2023 26%
Parental expenses for child care decreased between 2022 and 2023
- Statistics Canada’s surveys on early learning and child care collect parental expenses for all children using licensed or unlicensed child care, not only child care that is part of the Canadian-wide Early Learning and Child Care system; which is in various stages of implementation across provinces and territories. Data for the territories were not collected in 2022.
Average monthly parental expenses in current dollars for their main full-time child care arrangement, children 0 to 5 years, Canada excluding the territories
2023 $544
2022 $649
Notes: Child care arrangement data were not collected in the territories in 2022.
Source: The Canadian Survey on Early Learning and Child Care (CSELCC) and the Survey of Early Learning and Child Care Arrangements (SELCCA) 2023
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