A Toronto mother is raising concerns about the city’s long wait times for daycare and is encouraging parents to get on a waitlist as soon as possible.
Resident and TikToker @sheabuttermother recently posted a video expressing her frustration over the “crazy” waitlists for daycares in the city. She explained that her child has been on a waitlist for over a year to get into a daycare program beside her school.
@sheabuttermother In January they said she was 20th in line. Whatchu mean she didnt make the cut??? 😩😭😭😭 #torontoparents #torontomom #torontodaycare #torontolife #odspoverty ♬ original sound – Shea | Funny UGC Creator
Despite being number 20 on the queue back in January, the Toronto mother says she was told her child will not make the cut in time for this coming school year.
“To anyone who plans on getting pregnant in the next two years, put your unborn child on a waitlist now because I promise you if you wait at the conceivement date, you won’t get a placement by the time you have to go back to work,” she said in the video.
The TikToker is one of many who are feeling the brunt of the daycare waitlist. Other users in the comments of her video are also revealing similar experiences.
“My nephew has been on a waitlist since he was born. He’s four,” the top comment read.
“My daughter is 176 on the list… she starts school in sept and MAYBE will get before/after school daycare by March 2025,” another user said.
“My son is 425th on a waitlist in Vancouver. Put him on when I was 12 weeks pregnant. He’s now 2,” another comment read.
Earlier in March, the federal government introduced a national $10-a-day child care program. As part of budget 2024, the government said it would commit to building more affordable child care spaces by reducing fees every year until there is an average fee of $10/day by 2025-2026.
The $10-a-day program is part of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system, a five-year plan that will be enforced in stages with an overall goal of making child care affordable and accessible.
Currently, the government says more than half of all provinces and territories are offering the $10-a-day (some cost less) child care program, meanwhile others have reduced parent fees by 50 per cent or more for regulated child care.
The city says wait lists for child care existed prior to the roll out of the CWELCC program, but demand has increased as fees have been reduced.
“The availability of child care spaces has also been impacted by significant workforce challenges within the sector that have hindered the ability of child care programs to hire and retain qualified staff,” a spokesperson from the Toronto Children’s Services told Now Toronto on Tuesday.
The city goes on to say that its role is to be the Service System Manager (SSM) for early years and licensed child care services and as the SSM, it’s their job to assist residents about available programs, financial assistance for child care and connecting families with extra support needs.
However, the city emphasizes that each child care program is an independent organization and has their own set of rules and policies which include waitlist management. Nevertheless, the city helps families navigate the system by informing them of licensed group and home child care options in their communities.
“The City continues to work with its Federal and Provincial partners to support expansion of the child care system, and to address workforce challenges that impact the ability of programs to meet the rise in demand. In addition, the City is working closely with child care operators to understand and mitigate the factors contributing to wait lists,” it said in a statement.
ADVICE FOR PARENTS AND RESIDENTS
The city has shared a few tips for parents who are struggling to get their children into a daycare program.
The first tip is to contact the city to discuss all available options and for information about the child care fee subsidy program. Secondly, connect with local child care centres and get on the waitlist as soon as possible. Afterwards, continue to follow up regularly regarding your status.
Third, explore the city’s online Child Care Locator to find alternative child care options in your community and lastly, consider child care options outside your local neighbourhood or a licensed home child care near you.
