Public Support for Child Care Programs in Canada

The purpose of the YMCA-YWCA National Survey on Child Care Policy in Canada was to explore the extent of public support for government subsidized child care programs in Canada, as well as the main factors influencing that support. The survey asked about priorities for government spending; about support for the general goal of making child care programs more affordable a”essible; and about support for the recent federal government program on this area. In addition, it examined how support for government spending on child care programs compares directly to support for other measures to support parents, including tax cuts. Finally, it asked parents about their experiences raising young children, including which forms of assistance would have made parenting easier.

The survey finds that, generally speaking, there is broad public support for policies that enhance the affordability and accessibility of high-quality child care programs for pre-school age children. For instance, a large majority (just over four in five) agree with the idea that “Canada should be a country where affordable and high-quality child care for young children is available to all parents who need it.” In addition, three in four Canadians say that pre-school age children in their community benefit from attending child care programs outside of the home.

Two other findings in particular stand out. First, despite current concerns about the cost of living, support for government spending on child care rivals that for tax reductions. Second, public priorities for government spending are strongly related to age, with older Canadians being much more focused on the need to increase funding for health care and services for seniors, and less so on programs such as child care and education that more directly benefit younger families. As society ages, and the political weight of older-age generations in the population increases, these differences between the priorities of older and younger Canadians are an increasingly important factor shaping government decision-making.

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About the Survey: The YMCA-YWCA National Survey on Child Care Policy in Canada was conducted by the Environics Institute for Survey Research in partnership with YMCA Canada and YWCA Canada. The survey was conducted online between January 28 and February 19, 2025 with a sample of 4,004 adult Canadians. The unweighted sample included an over-representation of adults under age 45 as well as residents of smaller provinces. Survey results reported here are weighted by age, gender, region and education so as to be representative of the Canadian adult population.

For more information, contact Dr. Andrew Parkin (Executive Director, Environics Institute).