#AtWhatCost Are We Allowing This to Continue?
Join the Movement to Build a Childcare System that’s Sustainable, Accessible, High-Quality, and Affordable
Universal childcare is a powerful promise — but it must be sustainable, and it can’t come at the cost of access or quality.
Canada’s childcare system is at a crossroads. While $10-a-day care brought hope, the reality is falling short: operators are scaling back or closing, waitlists are growing, and educators are burning out. Without urgent action, we risk losing the foundation of the very system we’re trying to build.
At the Association of Canadian Early Learning Programs, we represent licensed providers of all types — home-based, nonprofit, and private — united in our goal to build a system that works in practice: accessible, high-quality, and affordable.
But to succeed, it must also be sustainable for providers, inclusive for families, and respectful of those delivering care.
That’s why we’re calling on all provincial and federal leaders to act now — and commit to three urgent priorities that can stabilize and strengthen childcare in Canada.
Operators that have Signed our Call to Action
1. Fair, Predictable Funding That Supports Quality Care
$10-a-day childcare can’t run on promises. Operators need stable, predictable funding that reflects the true cost of delivering quality care — without being burdened by excessive red tape.
WHAT WE’RE FIGHTING FOR
- Funding that reflects the real cost of delivering quality care, or a means-tested model, if real cost funding isn’t feasible for taxpayers, ensuring those families that need it most are prioritized.
- A funding framework that encourages growth and innovation — not one that stalls expansion and adds excessive administrative strain.
- A regulatory approach that sets realistic, sustainable fee limits and maintains licensing standards — while stepping back from unnecessary micromanagement. Operators should be empowered to focus on what they do best: delivering high-quality care, not navigating endless layers of complex red tape.
💡 Did you know?
According to Statistics Canada, the federal and provincial governments collectively spend approximately $79 billion in taxpayer funds each year on K–12 education across the country.
In comparison, the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care ($10-a-day) program is to cost taxpayers $36.8 billion over the next five years, in addition to the $4.6 billion provinces and territories already spend annually. That brings the average total tax payer investment in early learning to roughly $12 billion per year.
Yet, despite this significant investment, only about 30% of Canadian children currently have access to a funded child care space, with the majority of the funded spaces being taken up by higher-income earners. Can we afford to provide universally funded care to the other 70%? Or do we need to consider a framework that priorizes affordability for those families that need it most?
2. Equal Access for All Licensed Operators to Expand & Protect Parent Choice
WHAT WE’RE FIGHTING FOR
Canada’s childcare system cannot succeed on a one-size-fits-all approach. Children and families have diverse needs – and the system must reflect that reality. Every licensed operator — whether a home-based, nonprofit, or private— adheres to the same regulations, accountability standards, and fee restrictions. Yet families are losing access to funded care simply because of the type of provider they choose.
This creates an uneven playing field and limits family choice — while stalling expansion and worsening waitlists.
- Access to $10-a-day funding for every type of licensed provider — so no family is limited by the type of care they choose.
- A funding framework based on quality and compliance, not ownership structure
- Formal recognition that a diverse mix of care options is essential to solving the childcare crisis.
3. Support for Educators. Respect for Operators
Early childhood educators are the backbone of Canada’s childcare system and deserve meaningful, long-term support. But strengthening the workforce requires collaboration with the operators who create and sustain these jobs. Workforce strategies must uplift educators by engaging operators in designing practical, sustainable solutions.
WHAT WE’RE FIGHTING FOR
- Interprovincial certification to improve educator mobility and remove unnecessary barriers
- Recruitment and retention strategies that are flexible, realistic and work across all licensed childcare models.
- True collaboration with operators to ensure workforce policies are grounded, effective, and reflect the diverse realities of programs across the country
Despite efforts to make childcare more affordable, frozen fees and insufficient subsidies prevent providers from expanding or sustaining their services.
This results in long waitlists, particularly in urban and rural areas, with the majority of the funded spaces being taken up by higher-income earners. As a result, the system becomes increasingly inequitable, leaving low-income families and newcomers without access!
ACCESS
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Frozen fees and inadequate government support under the agreements force operators to cut essential costs like staff, quality food, and educational materials.
These reductions directly impact the care and educational outcomes for children, while programs for children with diverse needs are scaled back, compromising inclusivity.
QUALITY & INCLUSIVITY
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The current Federal-Provincial Child Care agreements centralize control, imposing federal regulations that undermine the unique approaches of operators.
For example, by unequitably favoring non-profits and targeting private operators—predominantly led by women—the federal government not only threatens the sustainability and quality of personalized childcare but also stifles female entrepreneurship, rather than encouraging it!
Erosion of Operational Control
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Approx. 70% of the childcare industry is made up of small owner-operator type childcare centers. Managing the complex and often poorly thought out, requirements set out in the agreements have created massive amounts of red tape and have created significant administrative costs.
Such costs average between $20 to $30 per child per month. For a childcare center with 100 children, this amounts to $2,500 monthly, adding a substantial financial strain on operators already navigating the challenges of the program.
Administrative Burden
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As inflation rises, operators struggle with frozen parent fees and inadequate government assistance that fails to cover increasing operational costs like wages, utilities, and supplies.
This growing gap jeopardizes the financial stability of childcare services, threatening the quality of care and the long term viability of 'affordable' childcare.
Inflation
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#atwhatcost: The real impact
Canada’s Childcare Landscape: Understanding the Numbers
Take a look at the pie chart—it’s a snapshot of the diverse childcare landscape across Canada!
In 2022, Canada had 45,366 childcare providers nationwide, categorized into three primary groups: 31% are childcare centers, 33% are licensed home-based settings, and 36% are unlicensed home-based providers.
This breakdown, sourced from Statistics Canada, underscores the importance of providing families with choices. Whether parents select a center or home-based setting, having options allows them to find the best fit for their children’s needs and their own family values. Parental choice is key to a strong childcare system that serves families across the country!
Explore our bar graph. It’s more than just numbers—it’s about impact.
Here, we compare the total childcare spaces from 2022 to those represented by the operators who have already signed our petition.
It’s a powerful reminder of the vast network of providers who are standing with us for change. These spaces are not just stats; they’re childcare spots filled with learning, and growth for Canada’s children.
Your voice matters! By signing our call to action or becoming a member, you join a community fighting for accessible, affordable, sustainable and high-quality childcare for all.
Let’s make our collective impact even greater—sign the CALL TO ACTION today and help us reshape the future of childcare in Canada!
Our message to Canada’s provincial and federal leaders is clear:
We don’t want to abandon the $10/day promise...we want to fix it — before it’s too late.
Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 8L1
www.acenational.ca
A Call to Action for All Federal and Provincial Leaders
Re: Build a Childcare System That Works
We, the undersigned parents, educators, and childcare operators from across Canada, are deeply concerned about the current state of childcare in Canada. While $10-a-day care is a promising goal, its rollout has exposed major issues.
Waitlists are growing, centres are closing, and educators are leaving. Families still can’t access the care they were promised. Childcare must be affordable — but it must also be sustainable, accessible, and respectful of those who provide it.
We urge action on three urgent priorities:
1. Fair, Predictable Funding That Supports Quality Care
- Funding that reflects the real cost of delivering quality care, or a means-tested model that prioritizes families most in need.
- Reduce red tape and support growth instead of stalling it.
- A regulatory approach that sets realistic, sustainable fee limits and maintains licensing standards — while stepping back from unnecessary micromanagement.
2. Equal Access for All Licensed Operators to Expand & Protect Parent Choice
- Provide $10-a-day funding for all licensed providers — so no family is limited by the type of care they choose.
- A funding framework based on quality and compliance, not ownership structure
- Formal recognition that a diverse mix of care options is essential to solving the childcare crisis.
3. Support for Educators. Respect for Operators
- Interprovincial certification to improve educator mobility and remove unnecessary barriers.
- Create practical recruitment and retention strategies across all licensed childcare models.
- Collaborate with operators to ensure workforce policies are effective realistic.
We all share the goal of a strong, stable, and equitable childcare system — but it won’t succeed without including those who live it every day.
In Solidarity,
The undersigned supporters below
Krystal Churcher
Chair, Association of Canadian Early Learning Programs (ACE)
www.acenational.ca
To join your name to this call, submit the form below.
2. Send a Letter to Government
1. Sign the Call to Action
Two ways to contribute your voice
Send your letter to your local elected representatives — including your provincial representative (MLA, MPP, MNA, etc.), your Member of Parliament (MP), your Premier, provincial and federal Ministers, and the Prime Minister.
Use the template below as a starting point and personalize it with your own experience. Whether you're a parent, educator, or childcare operator, your voice matters. You can email each contact individually or all at once.
Use the lookup tool below to easily find contact information for elected officials in your area.
Sign our Call to Action
Join Our Call for Sustainable Funding, Respect for Parent Choice & Support for Educators!
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Official Correspondence & Policy Positions
As ACE continues to advocate for sustainable, inclusive childcare policy across Canada, several provincial leaders have acknowledged similar concerns — including the need for flexible delivery models, workforce solutions, and long-term viability.
Below are letters and statements, from applicable Ministers plus media that reflect growing alignment with the issues we’ve raised.
Alberta’s Minister acknowledges serious concerns with the current federal model and has called for greater flexibility in how provinces implement childcare funding.
🏛️ Letter of concerns- ALBERTA
Ontario’s Minister formally requests to reform the CWELCC extension, citing concerns around sustainability.
🏛️ Letter to of concerns- Ontario
urgent news
Urgent: Funding Cut Without Warning for New For-Profit Childcare Centres in Alberta
As of May 15, 2025, Alberta reached the federally mandated cap of 26,200 subsidized for-profit spaces under the CWELCC agreement. Without any warning or public update, new for-profit centres are now ineligible for the Affordability Grant — leaving families and operators blindsided.
