$10/Day Childcare in Ontario - What You Need to Know (2026)
The promise was simple: $10-a-day childcare for every Ontario family by March 2026. The reality? It's February 2026, and the average parent is still paying about $19 per day [1]. That's a lot better than the $51 per day families were paying before the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) program kicked in [2]. But it's not $10.
Here's where things actually stand, what you're entitled to right now, and what's likely to happen next.
What Is CWELCC and How Did We Get Here?
In 2021, the federal government signed an agreement with Ontario worth over $13.2 billion to bring average childcare fees down to $10 per day by the end of fiscal year 2025-2026 [3]. The rollout happened in stages. Families saw a 25% rebate in April 2022, then a 50% reduction by December 2022. Since January 2025, daily fees have been capped at $22 for children under six in participating programs [1].
That cap brought the provincial average to roughly $19 per day. A significant drop from where things were, particularly in Toronto, where infant care used to run $1,700 to $2,200 per month before CWELCC existed [2]. But the $10 target? Ontario didn't hit it by March 2026. Instead, the federal and provincial governments signed a one-year extension in December 2025, pushing the deadline to December 31, 2026. Ottawa is sending an additional $695 million to keep fees at their current level through that period [4].
Who Qualifies?
The program covers children under six in licensed childcare. That includes centre-based daycares, licensed home child care agencies, and before-and-after school programs for kindergarten-age kids [3]. About 92% of licensed spaces for children aged 0 to 5 are now enrolled in CWELCC [1].
You don't need to apply for the fee reduction yourself. If your daycare participates in CWELCC (and most do), the lower fee is automatic. Just ask your provider if they're enrolled. If they are, the price you see is the price you pay; the government covers the rest directly to the operator.
School-age children between 6 and 12 can access licensed before-and-after school programs too, though the $10-per-day commitment specifically targets the under-six group [3].
What Are Parents Actually Paying Right Now?
For the 2025-2026 year, the hard cap is $22 per day regardless of age group (infant, toddler, or preschool). In practice, the provincial average sits around $19 per day [1]. That's roughly $418 per month for full-time care at the average rate.
Compare that to what parents were paying before:
| Age Group | Pre-CWELCC Average (2020) | Current Average (2026) | |---|---|---| | Infant (0-18 months) | ~$75/day | $22/day (cap) | | Toddler (18-30 months) | ~$58/day | $19-22/day | | Preschool (30 months-5 years) | ~$51/day | $17-22/day |
The savings are real. The federal government estimates Ontario families are saving an average of $7,000 per year per child [5]. For families with two kids in care, that's $14,000 back in the budget annually.
The Catch: Waitlists and the Space Problem
Lower fees brought a surge in demand. Ontario committed to creating 86,000 new licensed spaces by December 2026, and so far about 39,000 have been built [1]. That's less than half the target with less than a year to go.
In Toronto, infant care waitlists still stretch one to two years. Toddler spots can mean eight to eighteen months of waiting. And the problem isn't just physical space; it's people. Ontario's Ministry of Education has warned the province could be short 8,500 early childhood educators by 2026 [6]. You can build all the rooms you want, but without qualified staff at the required ratios, those rooms sit empty.
The government has tried to address the staffing crisis by raising the ECE wage floor. In 2025 it was set at $24.86 per hour, rising to $25.86 in 2026 [6]. Whether that's enough to attract and retain workers in a sector that historically paid less than retail is another question entirely.
What Happens After December 2026?
This is the part that makes budget-conscious parents nervous. Ontario signed only a one-year extension of its CWELCC agreement, not the five-year deal that eleven other provinces and territories locked in [5]. That means the future of the program beyond December 2026 is genuinely uncertain.
If the federal and provincial governments can't agree on a longer-term deal, there's no guarantee fees stay where they are. The $695 million in federal funding that's keeping rates at $19 per day expires at the end of the year [4]. Provincial politics, federal elections, and interprovincial funding disputes could all reshape what comes next.
For now, the practical advice is straightforward: take advantage of the current rates, get on waitlists early (yesterday would've been ideal), and keep an eye on the news heading into fall 2026 when renewal negotiations will heat up.
How to Get Started
If you're looking for licensed childcare in Ontario right now, here's your action plan:
- Search for licensed providers near you using Ontario's child care search tool at ontario.ca [7]
- Contact providers directly to confirm they're enrolled in CWELCC (most are)
- Get on waitlists early, especially for infant and toddler care
- If you need financial help beyond the CWELCC reduction, apply for the Ontario childcare fee subsidy through your local service manager [8]
The fee subsidy is separate from CWELCC and stacks on top of it. Families earning under $20,000 per year typically qualify for full subsidy, meaning $0 out of pocket. Above that, it's a sliding scale [8].
The system is far from perfect. But $19 a day beats $51, and if you plan ahead, the spots are out there.
References
[1] Ontario Extends $10-a-Day Child Care Plan to End of 2026
[2] How Much Does Daycare Cost in Ontario (2025)
[3] Canada-Ontario CWELCC Agreement
[4] Canada and Ontario Agree to One-Year Extension of the Canada-Wide ELCC Agreement
[5] Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care
[6] Ontario Boosting ECE Wages to Address Shortage