It’s a deal: unpacking the $10-a-day child care plan
Guest: Robert Benzie and Tonda MacCharles, Star reporters
With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Doug Ford signing on the dotted line confirming the province of Ontario is in, Canada will have a national child-care program for the first time in history. With the province having one of the highest child-care rates in Canada, the federal government has earmarked 13.2 billion for Ontario over six years. Parents could see fees reduced by up to 50 per cent by the end of the year, with costs dropping to as low as $10-a-day by September 2025. The timing couldn’t be better. The country’s fiscal year-end is this week and the province is just nine weeks out from an election. In this episode, we talked to reporters from the Star’s Queen’s Park and Ottawa bureaus to unpack the plan, why Ontario took so long and what it means for Canadians.
This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn