In 2021, the Government of Canada entered into agreements with each province and territory across Canada to move towards the creation of a national child care system. The Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreements (the Agreements) aimed to create 250,000 new child care spaces, offer much-needed support to early childhood educators, and halve fees by 2022, reducing costs to an average of $10 a day by 2026.
While the Agreements represent an unprecedented investment in Canada’s child care and early learning system, their success depends on coordinated action at the provincial and territorial levels. Governments, operators, and educators are working to translate national objectives into sustainable funding models, equitable access, and a qualified, supported workforce. Ongoing collaboration is needed to address local realities such as rural access, workforce pressures, wages and benefits, and supporting children with complex needs.
Across the country, provinces and territories are increasing access and working to deliver more affordable, inclusive, and higher-quality child care for every family. Efforts focus on optimizing existing capacity, expanding where needed, and supporting educators as the foundation of the system, and KPMG has supported multiple governments in their journey.