Ontario’s $10-a-Day Child Care: What Parents Pay in 2026

As of November 2026, Ontario’s “$10-a-day” child care costs parents at most $22 a day, and $19 a day on average, for a child under 6 at a licensed centre or home child care agency that is enrolled in the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system (CWELCC). It has not reached $10 a day. The September 2026 federal–Ontario extension keeps today’s fees in place until June 30, 2027, and nothing has been announced for after that. You don’t apply for the lower fee: an enrolled program has to charge it.

How much do Ontario parents pay for child care now?

Since January 1, 2025, a program enrolled in CWELCC can’t charge more than $22 a day for an eligible child. Programs that already charged $22 or less had to keep the fee they charged on December 31, 2024, and programs that enrol later set their fee from tables in Ontario’s child care regulation, never above $22. That is why the provincial average is about $19 a day: $22 is a ceiling, not the price everywhere. Ontario’s own example is a centre that charged $17.96 a day for a 4-year-old: the cap didn’t change that fee.

So two enrolled centres near you can charge different fees, but neither can go above $22 a day for an eligible child.

The cap covers every mandatory charge. Ontario’s licensing manual counts registration fees, deposits, administration fees and anything else you must pay to get care as part of the capped “base fee”, with one-time fees spread over a year of service days. Its example: a $500 registration fee at a program open 250 days a year adds $2 a day, so the daily fee can be no more than $20.

Optional extras are not capped. Late pick-up fees, bank charges for a bounced payment, and optional field trips, transportation, diapers or sunscreen can be charged on top.

The agreement’s original target was an average of $10 a day for children under 6 by the end of the 2025–26 fiscal year (March 2026), according to Ontario’s 2025 early years and child care annual report. As of November 2026, Ontario’s average is still $19 and no new date has been set.

Which children get the lower fee?

Children under 6 in a licensed child care centre or licensed home child care agency that is enrolled in CWELCC. Unlicensed care can’t take part.

The lower fee ends around the sixth birthday. Ontario’s child care regulation sets the exact date:

For example, a child in a kindergarten group who turns 6 in March keeps the lower fee until June 30. A child who turns 6 in October keeps it until October 31. After that date, the cap no longer applies to that child. If you aren’t sure which group your child is in, ask the centre.

Is before- and after-school care capped?

Only for children who still meet the age rule, and only at a program enrolled in CWELCC.

• Kindergarten (JK and SK): covered at an enrolled before- and after-school program, following the birthday rules above.
• Grade 1 and up: most children are 6 or older, so the cap doesn’t apply and each program sets its own fees. A Grade 1 child who is still 5 when school starts (a birthday late in the year) keeps the lower fee until the last day of the month they turn 6.
• Programs that can’t take part: unlicensed extended day programs run by school boards and authorized recreation programs are not eligible for CWELCC.

So a kindergarten child and an older brother or sister in the same program can pay very different fees. Ontario’s 2025 annual report found that in December 2024, before- and after-school care at licensed centres cost an average of $13.18 a day for kindergarten children and $24.37 for school-age children, a gap it put down to the CWELCC fee reduction for younger children.

The income-tested fee subsidy can still help with school-age care, because it covers children under 13 (see below).

What does the September 2026 federal–Ontario deal promise?

On September 29, 2026, the federal government and Ontario announced a four-year extension of their CWELCC agreement.

What it does:

• Federal funding to 2031. The extension covers March 31, 2027 to March 31, 2031, with nearly $12 billion in federal funding for Ontario over those four years.
• Fees held until mid-2027. Ontario commits to keeping fees at the current average of $19 a day until June 30, 2027. The Region of Waterloo says the $22 cap for participating programs stays in place until then too.

What it doesn’t do:

• No date for $10 a day and no fee cut. The two governments say they will work together to keep fees affordable and set a sustainable path forward for child care in Ontario.
• No promise after June 30, 2027. As of November 2026, nothing has been announced about fees after that date. Check Ontario’s CWELCC page for updates.

Spaces are still growing. Ontario committed to 86,000 net new licensed spaces for children under 6 and reports about 60,000 as of June 2026.

How do I find out if a daycare is part of CWELCC?

Most programs take part: as of June 2026, 93% of Ontario’s licensed child care spaces for children aged 0 to 5 were in CWELCC-enrolled programs. Still, check each one:

1. Ask the centre and read its parent handbook. Every licensed program must say in its parent handbook whether it is enrolled in CWELCC. The handbook must also list the base fee, any non-base fees, and when fees are refunded or credited.
2. Check your service manager’s list. Child care is run locally by 47 municipal or district service system managers (CMSMs and DSSABs); find yours on Ontario’s list. Many show who takes part:
   • Toronto: the City’s A–Z list of licensed child care centres marks each centre “CWELCC participating” and “Fee subsidy accepted”.
   • Ottawa: the City’s Child Care Registry and Waitlist lets you find the providers that take part.
   • Waterloo Region (Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge): OneList has a CWELCC filter.
3. Get the fee in writing before you sign, including any registration fee or deposit.

childcaring.ca lists about 5,450 licensed Ontario child care centres from the province’s licensing data (an early-2025 snapshot). Each page shows the operator, licence number and types of programs (full-day, before-school and so on), but not CWELCC enrolment, so confirm that with the centre. Browse by city, such as Toronto, Ottawa, Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, or see every city on the Ontario child care page.

Will I get a refund if I prepaid more than the cap?

Yes, as a credit or a refund. Ontario’s regulation says that if you prepaid more than the allowed base fee for an eligible child (for example, an annual tuition fee), the program must give you a credit or refund of the difference:

• within 60 days after December 31, 2024, if the program was already enrolled then; or
• within 60 days after the program is told its enrolment date, if it joined CWELCC later.

If your child leaves while you still have a credit, the program must refund what’s left within 60 days after your child’s last day.

If you think a program is charging more than the rules allow, raise it with the program first. CWELCC fee rules are enforced by the Ministry of Education, so if that doesn’t settle it, you can make a child care complaint (toll-free 1-877-510-5333) or ask your service manager.

What happens at a centre that isn’t in CWELCC, or leaves it?

• No cap. Programs that aren’t enrolled set their own fees, and your fees aren’t reduced.
• No new fee subsidy for children under 6. Since January 1, 2025, fee subsidy can’t be used at programs for children aged 0 to 5 that aren’t enrolled. Subsidy agreements that existed on December 31, 2024 can continue until the child ages out or leaves that program.
• The same licensing rules. They are still licensed and must follow Ontario’s child care rules.

If your centre leaves CWELCC, it must tell parents at least 30 days before its last day in the system. (If its service manager removes it on less than 30 days’ notice, it must tell parents within 3 business days.) Fees can’t go up until it has actually left. You can take your child out without a penalty if you give notice within 30 days of getting the centre’s notice and at least 30 days before your child’s last day (or less, if your contract allows).

Can I get a fee subsidy on top of the $22 cap?

Yes. CWELCC lowers the fee for every eligible child. The child care fee subsidy is extra, income-tested help on top of that.

• Who: families with a child under 13 (or up to 18 for a child with special needs who meets other criteria) in licensed child care, a children’s recreation program, a camp, or a before- and after-school program run directly by a school board.
• How much: what you pay depends on your family’s adjusted net income from your income tax return. Ontario says the amount is reduced by 50% for eligible children in CWELCC-enrolled programs.
• Where to apply: your local service manager, not the province. Ontario’s subsidy page explains the basics.
• When: this varies. Toronto has a subsidy waitlist and says to apply as soon as possible; you can apply once you’re expecting. Its one application also puts you on the waitlists of the City-run programs you choose. In Ottawa, you must secure a space at a CWELCC program before you can be assessed for fee subsidy. Elsewhere, check with your service manager.

The fees you still pay may also count for tax relief: the child care expense deduction and, for families with income up to $150,000, Ontario’s CARE tax credit. See our guide to the child care expense deduction, and check with the CRA if your situation is unusual. For other help with the cost of raising children, see the Canada Child Benefit and the Ontario Child Benefit.

What can I do while I’m on a waitlist?

Waitlists are long in many areas; our guide on how to get a daycare spot covers how lists work in Toronto, Ottawa and Waterloo Region. In short:

• Never pay to get on a list. Under Ontario’s child care regulation, licensed centres and home child care agencies can’t charge a fee or deposit to put a child on a waiting list. A program with a list must have a written policy on the order of offers and let you find out your child’s position. Ask to see it.
• Ask about licensed home child care. Home child care agencies can be enrolled in CWELCC too; if the agency is enrolled, the same $22 cap applies, so ask.
• Apply for fee subsidy early if you think you’ll qualify.
• Go to EarlyON. EarlyON Child and Family Centres offer free programs for children from birth to 6 and their families, open to all Ontario families. It isn’t child care (you take part with your child), but it means play, learning and advice from early childhood professionals. See What Is EarlyON?

Sources

• Government of Ontario, Canada-Ontario early learning and child care agreement (updated October 23, 2026): $22 cap and $19 average since January 1, 2025; the $17.96 example; who is eligible, including children turning 6; no application needed; enrolment stated in the parent handbook; 93% of spaces for ages 0 to 5 enrolled and about 60,000 of 86,000 new spaces as of June 2026; eligible and ineligible programs; fee subsidy rules since January 1, 2025 and the 50% reduction.
• Government of Ontario, Child Care Centre Licensing Manual, Part 2: CWELCC: base and non-base fees; the $500 registration fee example; the January 1, 2025 fee rules; refunds of prepaid fees; notice when a program leaves CWELCC and withdrawing without a penalty.
• Government of Ontario, O. Reg. 137/15 (General) under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014: definition of “eligible child” (s. 1); parent handbook contents (s. 45); no fee or deposit for a waiting list and the waiting-list policy (s. 75.1); base fee, credits and refunds (s. 77.2); notice of disenrollment (s. 77.3).
• Government of Ontario, Ontario’s Early Years and Child Care Annual Report 2025: the $10-a-day target for the end of 2025–26; average before- and after-school fees in December 2024.
• Government of Canada, Canada and Ontario agree to four-year extension of Canada–Ontario Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement (September 29, 2026): extension from March 31, 2027 to March 31, 2031; nearly $12 billion; $19 average until June 30, 2027; the two governments working together on affordable fees and a sustainable path forward.
• Region of Waterloo, Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC): extension to March 31, 2031; $22 cap until June 30, 2027; OneList CWELCC filter.
• Government of Ontario, Financial support for child care: fee subsidy age limits, the types of care it can be used for, the income test and where to apply.
• Government of Ontario, Service system managers for child care and early years programs: the 47 CMSMs and DSSABs and the municipalities they serve (including Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge for the Region of Waterloo).
• City of Toronto, A–Z list of licensed child care centres, Child Care Fee Subsidy and TELCCS – Waitlist Registration: CWELCC and subsidy columns; apply for subsidy as soon as possible, including while expecting; one application for subsidy and City-run program waitlists.
• City of Ottawa, Apply for child care and Child care fee subsidy: finding CWELCC providers through the Child Care Registry and Waitlist; securing a CWELCC space before subsidy assessment.
• Government of Ontario, Make a child care complaint and Find and pay for child care: the ministry enforces CWELCC fee requirements; the toll-free line.
• Government of Ontario, Ontario Child Care Tax Credit: CARE credit for family income up to $150,000, based on the child care expense deduction.
• Government of Ontario, Find an EarlyON child and family centre: free programs for children from birth to 6 and their families.

Last checked: November 11, 2026.