Elspeth Chalmers –
Ontario may have lowered child-care fees, but as return-to-office policies take hold, downtown Toronto parents are discovering that availability is a problem. Spaces may be more affordable, but landing a spot in one is difficult.
Despite the rollout of Ontario’s Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care program, which has reduced average fees to roughly $19 a day, availability remains the central challenge in Toronto’s core. A recent City of Toronto background report found that demand for licensed spaces continues to outpace supply, with operators reporting longer waitlists after the introduction of the fee-reduction program.
The gap widens as employers require workers to return to the office full-time. Commuting, child-care fees, and other work-related expenses can quickly erode household income. In Ottawa, the Ottawa Citizen reported that return-to-office directives are prompting some parents to leave cherished public service positions or consider relocating closer to extended family despite increasing commute times.
National data from Statistics Canada shows that waitlists are common and seemingly never-ending. Fee reductions have increased demand faster than new spaces can be created. A November 2025 analysis from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives found that Toronto has just 46.5 licensed child-care spaces for every 100 children.
That was the experience for my own family. My child was placed on several waitlists when I was still pregnant. I signed up near our home in the Corktown area and all across the Downtown East, but also in the west end and as far north as Caledon, where my extended family lived. After over a year of waiting, I still had no local daycare to speak of and had to make a long commute out of the city with a toddler just to get myself to work.
It wasn’t until he was 20 months old that I finally heard back from one downtown daycare. The others? Still nothing after more than two years on their waitlists.
For many families, the consequences extend beyond inconvenience. When a parent cannot secure reliable care, one adult, most often the mother, may delay returning to work, reduce work hours or leave the workforce. Federal research on parental leave has shown that access to childcare is one of the most significant factors influencing mothers’ employment decisions.
The economic implications ripple outward. If commuting costs, transit passes and child-care fees approach or exceed a second income, families may question whether remaining in the downtown core makes financial sense.
Ontario has committed to expanding licensed spaces under the federal-provincial agreement, but this has created its own problems. The City of Toronto’s Early Years and Child Care Service Plan 2025–2030 noted that workforce shortages, space constraints and funding timelines continue to slow expansion in high-demand areas such as downtown.
Affordable childcare is only transformative if families can access it. If downtown Toronto hopes to retain young families, solving the availability crisis – not just the affordability of care – will be critical. Otherwise, return-to-office mandates may accelerate a quiet exodus from the core, reshaping who can realistically afford to live and work in the city centre.
