Child care cost less in 2023, but more parents say spots are hard to find: StatCan

A new report from Statistics Canada says child care was more affordable across the country in 2023, but parents are having a harder time finding it.

The report released today says expenses for children attending full-time centre-based child care decreased from an average of $663 per month in 2022 to $508 in 2023. 

It says the decrease occurred as many provinces and territories began implementing lower child-care fees.

Meanwhile, the proportion of parents who reported having difficulty finding available child care increased from 53 per cent in 2019 to 62 per cent in 2023.