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Parental Preferences and Unmet Demand for Child Care for Children Aged Zero to Five Years in Canada | Canadian Public Policy
The aim of this article was to quantify unmet demand for child care in Canada and identify barriers faced by parents seeking child care. Participants were 30,330 parents who completed the 2023 Canadian Survey on Early Learning and Child Care, a nationally representative survey of children aged 0–5 years living in the provinces. Results suggested that although most Canadian children have parents who would prefer to use non-parental child care, only one-third are participating in care that fully meets their parents’ wishes. Demand for and barriers to child care varied according to socio-demographic characteristics, with certain groups, including parents working non-standard hours, those living outside Quebec, parents of Indigenous children, those with children aged younger than two years, and parents of children in school, more likely to report unmet demand and barriers to care. Meeting the child care needs of these parents may have an impact on parental labour market participation.
