Child care costs vary from region to region, as well as between ages of children and then type of care your family requires. The regional differences are effected somewhat by cost of living, but also by the amount and nature of government financial support that is provided to support child care.

Depending upon the type of care you are investigating the cost of care can vary significantly between infant care and after school care, and all ages in between. This is generally due to government regulations and industry recommendations around the ratio of children to caregivers, as well as the requirements surrounding caregiver training.

Today’s Parent magazine offers a good general break-down of child care costs in each province in Canada.

Child Care Costs Across Canada

These do not, however, reflect differences within each province. For instance, you may note a big discrepancy between fees in Toronto, and those in Petwawa, Ontario, or between Kelowna, BC and Vancouver.

When trying to determine what you can afford to pay for child care (if this is even a practical exercise – in many cases as parents we have very few options) some things to consider include whether your family qualifies for subsidy, and if so does the child care arrangement I am considering qualify? In many cases there are strict policies around what types of programs (i.e. licensed group child care) a parent can use their subsidy for.

Some other considerations include what your tax deduction will amount to and what the after tax cost of child care will be. You can learn more about child care expenses and your Canada tax claim here. If you are hiring in in-home caregiver or nanny, it is important to research whether your national/state law requires employers to register and make employer contributions.

Watch for updates as this topic will be addressed in further detail at a later date.