How much does child care cost you?

Melanie_ · February 5, 2009

CBC wants to know how much people are paying for child care across the country. If you have a child in care, you can let them know your story, and if the current child care solutions are working for you.

Daycare Questionnaire

After the federal budget was released in January, some parents were disappointed to see no childcare assistance or solutions. We decided to ask Canadian parents, who know this issue best, to share their stories. Fill out the form below to help us create a clearer picture of the cost of childcare in Canada.

M.Dancer · February 5, 2009

$450 per month for 1/2 day. The other half in JK.

works fine

BigAl · February 5, 2009

$450 per month for 1/2 day. The other half in JK.
works fine

Whew. And people ask me why I don't want to have kids!

M.Dancer · February 5, 2009

Whew. And people ask me why I don't want to have kids!

That's nothing. My daughter when we knew no better was in a private daycare and that cost was near $1200 per month...9 years ago.

Molly · February 5, 2009

$40/day for one grandchild; employer subsidized by the other, down to, if I remember right, $10/day. You need more than a McJob not to be losing money on it.

fellowtraveller · February 5, 2009

When my kids were young and required care, my spouse stayed home and cared for them. I did too for some weeks and months when our schedules worked out. As it happened , she was the prinicpal caregiver because at the time I made more money, that was about the only decding factor.

We knew when we conceived that we would have to make some financial sacrifices because our family income was reduced to0 one income plus a bit, but that was entirely our choice. We felt it was important that our kids have that bond with a parent early and often. When they started school, they had only limited after school care oiccasionally, but I cant recall what it cost. We did have a full time nanny for a few months once while my spouse completed a contract.

I don't want the state to have any involvement in our childcaring choices.

Progressive Tory · February 5, 2009

$40/day for one grandchild; employer subsidized by the other, down to, if I remember right, $10/day. You need more than a McJob not to be losing money on it.

Are you also raising a grandchild? I don't really need childcare but pay $ 10.00 an hour for respite.

Oleg Bach · February 6, 2009

Child care cost me nothing - never used it - If you can have children you can take care of them yourself - what is this idea - animal farm? Forget about childcare - just have the offspring in testubes and send them directly to the early childhood training center - skip the parent thing...it's old fashioned. And if there are any genetic defects within this collective brood that lead to anti-social behaviour --- then drug the little bastards into submission...may as well go for it.

daniel · February 6, 2009

Thank goodness for the Conservative $100/month universal childcare program.

tango · February 6, 2009

Thank goodness for the Conservative $100/month universal childcare program.

:lol:

RB · February 6, 2009

Thank goodness for the Conservative $100/month universal childcare program.

Is that all, I will have to put off my decision to have children until I can see some true reflection of these trying times. Just not good enough.

Hydraboss · February 6, 2009

You breed 'em...you feed 'em.

I am not responsiblr for your kids. You are (or should be).

I'm buying a new truck for $60,000.....and I want you to pay 80% of the payments. Interested?

My wife and I are raising our two kids, and I don't want your money to do so. When our kids were very small, either my wife stayed home or we paid for daycare/before/after school care.

We never accepted offspring welfare.

Bryan · February 6, 2009

We were paying $450/month including meals for full time private care up until this September. Take $100/mo off of that with the UCCB, and I certainly have no complaints.

Edited February 6, 2009 by Bryan

Progressive Tory · February 6, 2009

Thank goodness for the Conservative $100/month universal childcare program.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Another gimmick. It's taxable and is like trying to fight a forest fire with a water gun. There is no way they can call that a day care plan. Where are all the spaces they promised? Not a single one.

Progressive Tory · February 6, 2009

We never accepted offspring welfare.

If your salary allowed that, good for you. However, single moms, single dads, and even two income households at minimum wage do not have that luxury. They must work or go on welfare.

A legitimate daycare plan means that your tax dollars don't go into social services.

A legitimate daycare plan means revenue from the tax dollars of working Canadians.

A legitimate daycare plan means dignity for single parents and low income familes, because they don't have to go on the dole or accept charity.

It is only offspring welfare when parents are unable to go to work because they can't afford daycare. That's a lot more money out of your pocket since it's going into the system (welfare) with nothing come out of the system (taxes).

Edited February 6, 2009 by Progressive Tory

Progressive Tory · February 6, 2009

We were paying $450/month including meals for full time private care up until this September. Take $100/mo off of that with the UCCB, and I certainly have no complaints.

You can't really take $ 100.00 a month off that. Since it's taxable, and both you and your wife are working, depending on your income, I'll bet you see a fraction of that.

Michael Hardner · February 6, 2009

Hydraboss,

I'm buying a new truck for $60,000.....and I want you to pay 80% of the payments. Interested?

Not really. I didn't own a vehicle until after I was 40. Until then, my taxes paid for credits for the vehicle manufacturers, for roads, and so forth.

And do your kids go to school ? Why should I pay for your kids to go to school ?

Molly · February 6, 2009

No, PT, I'm not raising grandchildren, but I did take time off work babysit when the kids were in a month-long daycare jackpot. It's not easy to organize, and it's ripping expensive, however it's done.

That baby is exactly why some help on that front is not a bad idea at all. Her parents are young, just barely self-supporting--on the verge of being very productive net contributors. But at the present, they live in an economic/future-building house of cards in which if any one element has a wobble, then the whole outfit collapses. A very short-term loss of daycare could be catastrophic to all their futures.

Topaz · February 6, 2009

I do have a niece that's been paying a $1000.00 a month for daycare for her daughter and its more than their mortgage BUT their daughter starts school so the Tories are $1000. dollars richer!

M.Dancer · February 6, 2009

You can't really take $ 100.00 a month off that. Since it's taxable, and both you and your wife are working, depending on your income, I'll bet you see a fraction of that.

If it is taxed, then chances are you don't need it....but after all, daycare itself is a tax deduction so once you facter that in unless you are in a high tax bracket, you see most of it.

BigAl · February 6, 2009

If your salary allowed that, good for you. However, single moms, single dads, and even two income households at minimum wage do not have that luxury. They must work or go on welfare.
A legitimate daycare plan means that your tax dollars don't go into social services.

A legitimate daycare plan means revenue from the tax dollars of working Canadians.

A legitimate daycare plan means dignity for single parents and low income familes, because they don't have to go on the dole or accept charity.

It is only offspring welfare when parents are unable to go to work because they can't afford daycare. That's a lot more money out of your pocket since it's going into the system (welfare) with nothing come out of the system (taxes).

As much as I agree with these points PT, it sort of begs the question...if people can't afford children, why do they have them? I think it becomes a question of education -- and perhaps licensing. I know that's sort of a big leap, but come on...if people were responsible with their bodies, we probably wouldn't need to be paying into a daycare plan. There are too many people with children who simply shouldn't have them.

Renegade · February 6, 2009

If your salary allowed that, good for you. However, single moms, single dads, and even two income households at minimum wage do not have that luxury. They must work or go on welfare.

Did they not understand that it cost to bring up a child? If they did not have pretty good certainty that they coudl provide for the child, why did they have children?

A legitimate daycare plan means that your tax dollars don't go into social services.

Huh? What does that mean?

A legitimate daycare plan means revenue from the tax dollars of working Canadians.

h? What does that mean?

A legitimate daycare plan means dignity for single parents and low income familes, because they don't have to go on the dole or accept charity.

It is their own choice to be parents they could ill afford to be which has led to their loss of dignity in accepting handouts.

IMV if parents expect society to subsidize the cost of raising children, then society should also have a say in who should become parents.

It is only offspring welfare when parents are unable to go to work because they can't afford daycare. That's a lot more money out of your pocket since it's going into the system (welfare) with nothing come out of the system (taxes).

It's the old threat: "Better subsidize my childcare or else I'll screw you even more by making you pay welfare". We should tell these irresponsible parents to screw off. Don't have kids they can't afford and if they do, then perhaps they need to be taken away from irresponsible parents and placed with responsible parents who can afford to take care of them.

Edited February 6, 2009 by Renegade

Alta4ever · February 6, 2009

Why is it that we expect the nanny state to look after your kids, life is all about making choices. We down sized our home to reduce payments so that my wif could stay at home with the kids.

You can't have you cake and eat it too.

Having children is about making sacrifices.

ToadBrother · February 6, 2009

You breed 'em...you feed 'em.
I am not responsiblr for your kids. You are (or should be).

I'm buying a new truck for $60,000.....and I want you to pay 80% of the payments. Interested?

My wife and I are raising our two kids, and I don't want your money to do so. When our kids were very small, either my wife stayed home or we paid for daycare/before/after school care.

We never accepted offspring welfare.

So you never listed your dependents on your income tax?

ToadBrother · February 6, 2009

As much as I agree with these points PT, it sort of begs the question...if people can't afford children, why do they have them? I think it becomes a question of education -- and perhaps licensing. I know that's sort of a big leap, but come on...if people were responsible with their bodies, we probably wouldn't need to be paying into a daycare plan. There are too many people with children who simply shouldn't have them.

People have children because that is one of the primary drives of all living organisms. People have kids because people have always had kids, and people will continue to have kids. For much of history, having kids was essential to maintaining not only the family's economic situation, but the entire society's.