A guide for parents in Canada – Finding quality child care
Finding child care can be one of the biggest challenges facing parents. With the high cost of child care and the demands of work and family, it can be difficult to find quality child care that meets the needs of both parents and children. Additionally, it can be challenging to find child care that is conveniently located and easy to access. There are a number of child care options available, but each has its own set of challenges.
Some parents opt to stay home with their children, but this can be difficult financially. Others choose to use family members or friends as child care providers, but this can be challenging emotionally and logistically. Child care centers provide a more professional setting, but they can be expensive and have long waiting lists. Therefore, before we discuss the quality of child care, let’s first examine how to find one, because one of the most frequent questions asked by parents is “How to Find Child Care Near Me?”.
There is no perfect solution to the challenges of finding child care, but there are a number of resources available to help parents make the best choices for their families. There are many different ways to find child care. You can ask friends and family for recommendations, search online, or contact a child care referral agency. It’s clear that families need more reliable, trustworthy routes to finding child care that will make their lives easier. Here are 3 resources and approaches to do that.
- childcare.center
An online marketplace for daycare and preschool options, backed by a trusted community of parents and providers. A comprehensive search module on ChildCare center helps you find the best solution for your needs. Through this solution, parents can discover local child care and learn all about their programs, including descriptions, photos, prices, and reviews from other parents, making it easy to determine a high-quality center.
- Provincial / territorial tools
A majority of provinces and territories provide lists of regulated child care centers, part-day and school-age programs, and regulated family child care on their websites, usually including the program’s address, phone number, and website, if it has one.
With these details, you can provide a list of daycares and then search for more. In almost all provinces, eligible families may be able to get help paying for child care fees through subsidies and in some places, for example Manitoba, the City of Toronto and other Ontario municipalities, parents can also apply for a fee subsidy online. These offers can be found on the websites of provinces and territories. However, parents may find that a subsidy doesn’t cover their child’s entire child care fee in some provinces/territories, while in Ontario, eligible families must wait on a long list to receive a subsidy.
3. Google
If you’re a parent in need of child care, searching for options on Google can be a great place to start. You can use the search engine to find local providers, read reviews, and compare prices. You can also find out about different types of care, such as daycare, nannies, and babysitters. Plus, you can use Google Maps to get directions and contact information for child care providers near you.