OTTAWA - The federal government is diving into the deep end of child care, promising billions in new spending for provinces to create spaces and drive down fees.
The Liberals' 2021 budget doesn't commit or estimate how many new spaces could be created by the spending, focusing instead on the cost to parents.
The plan would aim to see an average drop in fees next year by 50 per cent for preschooler daycare spaces that last year ranged from about $451 per month in Winnipeg to $1,250 a month in Toronto.
Eventually, the Liberals aim to have an average fee of $10 a day across the country outside of Quebec, which has its own system.
The proposal addresses calls not only from advocates but from business groups as well, to help thousands of mothers return to the labour force after their numbers dwindled due to daycare closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says in her budget speech the plan won't deliver instant gratification, noting it is a long-term strategy that will take countrywide effort to invest in children and young parents.
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