Childcare Resource and Research Unit

08/26/2026

Five years into the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) program, this newly released Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives report analyzes the shifting landscape of licensed child care fees across 35 major Canadian cities, comparing 2026 data against the 2019 pre-program baseline. Read the report: https://childcarecanada.org/documents/research-policy-practice/10-day-divide-child-care-fees-canada-2026

04/16/2026

CRRU is hiring two social research assistants through the Canada Summer Jobs program to work on projects related to early childhood education and care (ECEC) and progressive social policy.

We are seeking applicants with ECEC knowledge, experience in the sector, strong writing skills, a feminist lens, and an interest in advocating for the equitable implementation of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system.

Read the job posting at childcarecanada.org/job-postings

Apply by May 1, 2026!

03/25/2026

Martha Friendly has been invested into the Order of Canada as an Officer. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition of child care advocacy, presented by Governor General Mary Simon on March 19, 2026.

For 50 years, Martha has determinedly advocated for high-quality, inclusive, non-profit and public universal child care. She continues to champion this work with unwavering commitment. Her passion for universal child care has inspired, ignited, and fuelled the efforts of many.

02/04/2026

CRRU is delighted to release Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada 2024/2025. This essential resource provides timely data on child care, kindergarten, significant policy changes from 2022 to 2025, and more. It is an indispensable tool for researchers, advocates, and policy makers seeking to understand the changing landscape of child care in Canada. Check it out now at childcarecanada.org

01/29/2026

CRRU is very pleased to let you know that Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada 2024/2025 will be released on February 4, 2026. This information-packed report is the 15th in a series that goes back to 1992 (ECEC in Canada).

Alongside the report, we will also release Key Findings from Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada 2024/2025: Summary and Analysis in English and French.

Subscribe to the CRRU newsletter to be notified on launch day: childcarecanada.org/weekly-newsletter

07/30/2025

Released today, Interim Space Statistics 2024: Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada is the latest report in the ECEC in Canada series that the Childcare Resource and Research Unit has regularly developed for more than 30 years. Interim Space Statistics 2024 provides timely space statistics in response to Canada’s rapidly evolving child care landscape.

This shorter interim version of ECEC in Canada includes numerical data about regulated child care spaces in each province and territory in 2024, six comparative tables, and an analysis of the state of Canadian early childhood education and care from 2019 through 2024, during the period in which the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care plan (known as CWELCC or $10 a day child care) had begun to make a significant impact.

Read the report: https://childcarecanada.org/publications/ecec-canada/25/07/interim-space-statistics-2024-early-childhood-education-and-care

07/09/2025

In this newly released report, authors David Macdonald and Martha Friendly present the 2025 findings from a regularly conducted survey of licensed child care fees in 37 cities across Canada.

Read the report: https://childcarecanada.org/documents/research-policy-practice/25/07/price-not-right-yet-10-day-child-care-falling-short-target

04/23/2025

for child care

At a time of economic uncertainty, advocates and families across Canada are calling on governments and all political parties to to protect and strengthen the $10 a Day Child Care system.

Learn about our vision for child care here:
https://childcarenow.ca/stand-on-guard-for-child-care/

08/28/2024

CRRU is delighted to release Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada 2023! The report includes information on funding, regulations, the workforce, governance, and spaces by age, type, and auspice, as well as an overview of the current state of ECEC in Canada in mid-2024. A series of comparative tables presents current and longitudinal data across Canada, providing a retrospective view of trends from 1992 to the present.

Read the report: https://childcarecanada.org/publications/ecec-canada/24/08/early-childhood-education-and-care-canada-2023

02/28/2024

Tomorrow’s video premiere! Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqd-mrqzMiHd0njM3QlGaObdJOkPgMGyPA #/registration