'Left in limbo': Parents struggle as Canada's child-care plan faces roadblocks

So it’s it’s definitely, like, this weird feeling of limbo. Ontario parent Amy Talbot is on the hunt for a childcare spot for her daughter. She’s on four wait lists. Her search began before her child was even born. I reached out to a daycare before I reached out to find, like, a midwife or OB for my care. Right now, her best chance is to spot at a center opening in September 2025, a year after she had hoped to return to work. That childcare crunch is reflected in a new report from the University of Toronto looking at what it calls uneven progress. With the federal government’s Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care Plan, the study found though affordability targets have been surpassed in $10 a day, childcare is the norm in much of the country. Depending where you live, finding care is now more difficult. When childcare becomes more affordable, the amount of people that want it is going to increase. But as need increased, the report finds supply has not kept up. A major roadblock has been staff shortages and primarily because some jurisdictions have not made the investments. That they need to make to improve working conditions and improve wages and compensation of educators in the sector. Talbot agrees that more affordable childcare can help parents get back into the workforce if they can find a spot. I’m even worried about, you know, without having care like not being able to go back at a year or 18 months like that’s I’m worried about, OK, how is that going to affect my career trajectory? It’s why the study’s co-author, Doctor Amis Akbari, says improvements to funding, staff qualifications and accountability are all factors needed to improve the system. When you have a high quality system, children do better. Working parents do better, the economy does better. Sean Preville, Global News.