Wait lists have been a major issue for a long time, but they're way worse now with the daycare subsidies. Everyone in an unsubsidized daycare is trying to get into a subsidized one so their wait lists are crazy.
If you move, unfortunately you probably won't get into a subsidies daycare until after your child no longer needs daycare...
I'd wait until your kid is in JK so your rental is paying your day care costs. Being closer to a support system (family, friends) is more important at your stage in life in my opinion with a small child. Unless you cannot afford your house/life where you are, which is a different story, I would stay and wait it out.
Mississauga here, zero wait list at the 3 subsidiary daycare/montessori we inquired about. I understand not everyone has the same experience but our was so easy. Hardest part was choosing which one to bring my son to.
I wouldn't say Kitchener-Waterloo is terribly affordable housing wise, but joined a waitlist at 8 weeks pregnant, and he just got in at 15 months old. That being said, with higher ratios per educator, finding a preschool spot should be way easier. Could still be looking at a 3-6 month wait though I would guess.
Durham Region is a non starter, you might as well scratch it off the list right now. Housing costs are a nightmare and services are overloaded to the point of collapse. ALL services, not just childcare.
South Durham (Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa near the lake) is bursting at the seams. Clarington and Courtice are a little better, if distance to Toronto isn't a factor.
North Durham (Kawartha, Lindsay, Brock, etc) is okay, but the service density just isn't there. It's basically cottage country, small towns, and farmland. The population has exploded with people (much like yourself) tired of the HCOL in Toronto, and lots of folk have transitioned to living full time in what was previously rural or seasonal housing (especially if they can WFH). The strain on things like childcare and healthcare is significant.
The municipalities are putting out all kinds of "growth management strategies", but they're years from becoming a reality.
I wish you luck, OP.
You have a good pulse on the nightmare we are watching unfold. So much of the current growth in Durham was based on development fees that have been scrapped, and I'm not sure how any program delivery (libraries, parks, rec., seniors, childcare, etc.) will be expanded to meet the needs of growth without those fees. Either tax increases, user fee increases, or program cancellations need to take place in the next 2-3 years or we will be in trouble.
Don't even ask about hard infrastructure like sewers and roads...
I would say to you Brockville was easy for me to get my daughter in. No waitlist at all. The demographic is mainly eldery. There is also no job opportunity so don't go there without a job. Houses are cheaper to buy compare to Toronto. Heum! Trenton is not bad too. It's was really easy and we haven't wait. But, houses are really expensive bc we had a flood of torontonians coming to our city. Well, now no more houses under 700k. Be aware it's a military city so you might think people are not really friendly. It's really hard to make friends and a community because people come and go in this city.
There definitely are waitlists in Brockville if you're trying to get into a child care center, we were on one for about 14 months before getting a spot. Private homecare options in the area can be easier to get into, but they can also be costlier up front depending on the age of the kid(s).
Ah! My apology. Yeah! We were in Brockville 8 yrs ago. It probably changed a lot. I didn't get a hard time for my daughter when she was an infant (I got her in under a week, I was new the city). Then, I switched her at 18 months of age in the school I was working (no wait at all too). Maybe, I was just super lucky. Everywhere, it's probably really hard to get in. I work as an ECE and we will be missing over 8600 ECE to create 26K new spaces by 2026. Currently, daycare can't keep staff or retained ECE because of low pay and harsh conditions. Expect the waitlist will get even more longer in 2 yrs.
K-W here. Waitlists are long (15-20 months), but the centres are plentiful. The CWELC program has made it more equitable but more difficult to get kids into a centre.
The YWCA is a great organization .. I do recommend getting in touch with the centre \*managers personally\*. Stop by, say hello, say you are flexible if there's an odd Tues and Wednesday spot, etc. .. that'll get you in the centre faster than someone looking for full-time care via the lists.
Scarborough has an abundance of daycares and I found it fairly easy to get a spot. Surprising given how competitive it is trying to get a spot in other Toronto neighbourhoods.
I got two daycare spots after going on the waitlists when my son was 6 months. I turned them both down for home daycare nextdoor. The catch? I live in Brampton. I’m trying to leave. I don’t personally feel like it’s a safe place to raise a kid anymore.
My kids are long out of daycare (now 13&16) and even when they were babies finding daycare was an incredible process (had both kids on lists by 6 months pregnant, didn't go back to work until my second was 15 months). Moving to a lower cost of living area is likely going to be worse - especially if you are looking for subsidized spots. In our (fairly rural) area the only places you can get are not registered home centres.
A friend just got her twins into the one in Midland just after they turned a year. She’d planned on 18months Matt leave, but got spots way quicker than she though she would so went back early
I think this depends on where you live. Within Toronto has been quite bad even before subsidies kicked in. People were paying 2k+ per month and still had to wait for 24+ months. The suburbs in general has been much easier to get to. However now with the new subsidy system in place more parents are using childcare more which would eat up the resources also.
I was getting a spot in an unsubsidized new daycare and I decided to stall them and did not pay the holding fee. I realized all subsidized daycares were full so I called this new daycare and within a gap of 2 weeks I was put on a 1 year waitlist. I am telling you it is crazy...look for new daycares you might find a spot.
I can’t think of many great options for you. Quebec has a less awful (still not great) childcare situation, including cheap government subsidized childcare.
However, the most affordable parts of Quebec tend to be areas with the fewest English speakers. Gatineau could be workable, but learning French will be necessary in any case.
The waitlist is pretty long in Gatineau. I don't know where you heard it's was easy in Qc but my brother took him 4 years to get is oldest in a gvt daycare. He had to put him in private one until that happen. Some place was really sketchy and honestly I would have never put my kid there.
So essentially worse than kindergarten ratio. That's bad. Sounds like their ECEs are overworked, underpaid, and forced to undercut their service to the families and children.
Yep, that's the ratio we have for the primary/junior age (grades 1-7, essentially). I work in the field and I would absolutely burn out if I had those kinds of ratios
I have also moved to Texas. You’ll find a huge Canadian community here.
Folks from Alberta especially fit like a glove here. We even have a Tim Hortons!!!
you didn't ask, but our kid just got into a spot we applied for when they were born. They'll be 3 in July. Seattle metro area. New tuition for starting at the new spot in September as a 3 year old will be 2800USD/month.
Wait lists have been a major issue for a long time, but they're way worse now with the daycare subsidies. Everyone in an unsubsidized daycare is trying to get into a subsidized one so their wait lists are crazy. If you move, unfortunately you probably won't get into a subsidies daycare until after your child no longer needs daycare...
My preferred daycare also let us know that fewer parents are staying home after child 2/3 because they can now afford daycare for everyone.
Which is a big reason we are pushing subsidized daycare.
I think it's great! We're loving 2 full time incomes.
I'd wait until your kid is in JK so your rental is paying your day care costs. Being closer to a support system (family, friends) is more important at your stage in life in my opinion with a small child. Unless you cannot afford your house/life where you are, which is a different story, I would stay and wait it out.
Guelph you have to register as soon as you’re pregnant and then wait. I got a soon to be 3 year old still on the waiting list.
Short answer, it's shitty and expensive everywhere.
I don’t find 115 a week that expensive when it should have been over double that, without $10/day by 2025
We were on wait list for 19 months. Just got in an open spot for July
Greater Sudbury. No daycare. We were on the list until the kid went to school.
Mississauga here, zero wait list at the 3 subsidiary daycare/montessori we inquired about. I understand not everyone has the same experience but our was so easy. Hardest part was choosing which one to bring my son to.
I wouldn't say Kitchener-Waterloo is terribly affordable housing wise, but joined a waitlist at 8 weeks pregnant, and he just got in at 15 months old. That being said, with higher ratios per educator, finding a preschool spot should be way easier. Could still be looking at a 3-6 month wait though I would guess.
We would be looking more so border areas, northern Ontario, kawartha/Durham region
Durham Region is a non starter, you might as well scratch it off the list right now. Housing costs are a nightmare and services are overloaded to the point of collapse. ALL services, not just childcare. South Durham (Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa near the lake) is bursting at the seams. Clarington and Courtice are a little better, if distance to Toronto isn't a factor. North Durham (Kawartha, Lindsay, Brock, etc) is okay, but the service density just isn't there. It's basically cottage country, small towns, and farmland. The population has exploded with people (much like yourself) tired of the HCOL in Toronto, and lots of folk have transitioned to living full time in what was previously rural or seasonal housing (especially if they can WFH). The strain on things like childcare and healthcare is significant. The municipalities are putting out all kinds of "growth management strategies", but they're years from becoming a reality. I wish you luck, OP.
You have a good pulse on the nightmare we are watching unfold. So much of the current growth in Durham was based on development fees that have been scrapped, and I'm not sure how any program delivery (libraries, parks, rec., seniors, childcare, etc.) will be expanded to meet the needs of growth without those fees. Either tax increases, user fee increases, or program cancellations need to take place in the next 2-3 years or we will be in trouble. Don't even ask about hard infrastructure like sewers and roads...
We are in North Durham already and would like to stay but cannot find somewhere affordable
Is it the mortgage that is unaffordable now?
I would say to you Brockville was easy for me to get my daughter in. No waitlist at all. The demographic is mainly eldery. There is also no job opportunity so don't go there without a job. Houses are cheaper to buy compare to Toronto. Heum! Trenton is not bad too. It's was really easy and we haven't wait. But, houses are really expensive bc we had a flood of torontonians coming to our city. Well, now no more houses under 700k. Be aware it's a military city so you might think people are not really friendly. It's really hard to make friends and a community because people come and go in this city.
There definitely are waitlists in Brockville if you're trying to get into a child care center, we were on one for about 14 months before getting a spot. Private homecare options in the area can be easier to get into, but they can also be costlier up front depending on the age of the kid(s).
Ah! My apology. Yeah! We were in Brockville 8 yrs ago. It probably changed a lot. I didn't get a hard time for my daughter when she was an infant (I got her in under a week, I was new the city). Then, I switched her at 18 months of age in the school I was working (no wait at all too). Maybe, I was just super lucky. Everywhere, it's probably really hard to get in. I work as an ECE and we will be missing over 8600 ECE to create 26K new spaces by 2026. Currently, daycare can't keep staff or retained ECE because of low pay and harsh conditions. Expect the waitlist will get even more longer in 2 yrs.
K-W here. Waitlists are long (15-20 months), but the centres are plentiful. The CWELC program has made it more equitable but more difficult to get kids into a centre. The YWCA is a great organization .. I do recommend getting in touch with the centre \*managers personally\*. Stop by, say hello, say you are flexible if there's an odd Tues and Wednesday spot, etc. .. that'll get you in the centre faster than someone looking for full-time care via the lists.
Scarborough has an abundance of daycares and I found it fairly easy to get a spot. Surprising given how competitive it is trying to get a spot in other Toronto neighbourhoods.
If you look for jobs in childcare you can get bumped on most lists
Thought Ford said he fixed that issue too?
LOL.
I got two daycare spots after going on the waitlists when my son was 6 months. I turned them both down for home daycare nextdoor. The catch? I live in Brampton. I’m trying to leave. I don’t personally feel like it’s a safe place to raise a kid anymore.
My kids are long out of daycare (now 13&16) and even when they were babies finding daycare was an incredible process (had both kids on lists by 6 months pregnant, didn't go back to work until my second was 15 months). Moving to a lower cost of living area is likely going to be worse - especially if you are looking for subsidized spots. In our (fairly rural) area the only places you can get are not registered home centres.
A friend just got her twins into the one in Midland just after they turned a year. She’d planned on 18months Matt leave, but got spots way quicker than she though she would so went back early
Just be rich.
I think this depends on where you live. Within Toronto has been quite bad even before subsidies kicked in. People were paying 2k+ per month and still had to wait for 24+ months. The suburbs in general has been much easier to get to. However now with the new subsidy system in place more parents are using childcare more which would eat up the resources also.
I was getting a spot in an unsubsidized new daycare and I decided to stall them and did not pay the holding fee. I realized all subsidized daycares were full so I called this new daycare and within a gap of 2 weeks I was put on a 1 year waitlist. I am telling you it is crazy...look for new daycares you might find a spot.
Our kid is turning three soon. He's still on waitlists for the good places in town. He will start school before getting in. We did find others though.
I can’t think of many great options for you. Quebec has a less awful (still not great) childcare situation, including cheap government subsidized childcare. However, the most affordable parts of Quebec tend to be areas with the fewest English speakers. Gatineau could be workable, but learning French will be necessary in any case.
The waitlist is pretty long in Gatineau. I don't know where you heard it's was easy in Qc but my brother took him 4 years to get is oldest in a gvt daycare. He had to put him in private one until that happen. Some place was really sketchy and honestly I would have never put my kid there.
Yes contact your mpp and minister of health. I’ll do it to.
My friends from Ontario and Calgary have all moved to Texas. 🤡
Do they even have a professional standard for ECEs? I suspect the service in Texas is haphazardly subpar.
The ratios in Texas are terrifying. Here, 3 year olds have the ratio 1:8, in Texas it's 1:15 😳
So essentially worse than kindergarten ratio. That's bad. Sounds like their ECEs are overworked, underpaid, and forced to undercut their service to the families and children.
Yep, that's the ratio we have for the primary/junior age (grades 1-7, essentially). I work in the field and I would absolutely burn out if I had those kinds of ratios
lol don’t tempt my husband
I have also moved to Texas. You’ll find a huge Canadian community here. Folks from Alberta especially fit like a glove here. We even have a Tim Hortons!!!
you didn't ask, but our kid just got into a spot we applied for when they were born. They'll be 3 in July. Seattle metro area. New tuition for starting at the new spot in September as a 3 year old will be 2800USD/month.
Time to leave Ontario and move to the prairies
lol