Canada introduces a national child care program

The Canadian government of Justin Trudeau finalized on Monday, with the signing of the province of Ontario, a national daycare program which will eventually allow parents to pay an average of 10 Canadian dollars per day (just over 7 euros) for custody of their children.

The Prime Minister, a baby in his arms in front of the media, called the agreement on Monday a

.

," he said.

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The establishment of this national network of daycares, in particular to facilitate access to the labor market for women, was one of the priority issues of the government of Justin Trudeau re-elected last September.

,” he added.

Ontario, the most populous province in Canada, was the only one that had not yet signed this agreement.

The agreement will allow an average reduction of 25% in childcare costs for children under six years old from April 1, i.e. average savings of around 2,200 Canadian dollars per child (around 1,600 euros), specify the government Federal and Province of Ontario.

And by the end of March 2026, families in Ontario, where child care costs are among the highest in Canada, will have access to child care spaces for $10 a day, on average.

This will make it possible to create 86,000 new places in child care centres.

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Women in Canada, as in many countries around the world, have been the big losers in the recession linked to the Covid-19 pandemic and access to a child care program is considered a key element for the recovery of their professional activity by the Trudeau government.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland had spoken of a

to counter a

a year ago by launching this program on daycare centers.

In Canada, only Quebec has had public centers for early childhood at an affordable price for all families for the past twenty years, thanks to Pauline Marois, Quebec Prime Minister at the time.