Local service guide
Childcare in Toronto: Fees, Options and Booking
To arrange childcare in Toronto, shortlist programs that fit your child's age and your pickup schedule, confirm centre licensing or home-care agency oversight, and request a written fee breakdown before accepting a place. For a child under six, ask whether the program participates in CWELCC. Toronto publishes a $22 daily fee cap for participating care, while eligible families can also apply for fee subsidy. Contact prospective programs alongside your subsidy application so you can assess both availability and funding. [1] [2] [4]
Choose care around your actual schedule
Write down your required start date, days of care, earliest drop-off and latest pickup. Include travel time between work, care and home. Ask each provider to confirm those hours for the specific place offered, then discuss closures, late pickup and backup arrangements before paying a deposit.
Ontario's licensed options include centres and agency-supervised home care. Home providers may offer full-day, before-and-after-school, extended-hours or overnight care. Ask about the provider's actual schedule rather than assuming that a type of care includes the hours you need. [4]
For school-age care, contact your child's school about the operator and enrollment process. Ontario requires schools serving kindergarten to grade six to offer before-and-after-school programs where demand or viability is sufficient. School boards may run programs themselves or use a licensed centre or authorized recreational and skill-building program. [4]
Confirm oversight before comparing home providers
An individual home provider does not hold a Ministry of Education licence. A licensed agency contracts with and oversees the provider. Agency home visitors screen and monitor homes, check safety before enrollment and conduct routine inspections. Ask who your home visitor would be and how you can contact the agency with concerns. [4]
Ontario allows an agency-supervised home provider to care for up to six children under 13, including the provider's own children under four. No more than three can be younger than two. An unlicensed provider may care for up to five children, including their own children under four, with the same limit of three under two. Adding adults does not increase the unlicensed home's limit. [4]
Unlicensed providers must tell parents in writing that they are unlicensed. The Ministry does not inspect them or require them to meet most provincial standards. If you consider this option, request the written disclosure, discuss the children's ages and attendance, and ask about references, emergency procedures and caregiver training. [4]
Get a fee you can budget around
Toronto's CWELCC guidance states that child care fees have a $22 daily cap from January 1, 2025. The system lowers fees for children under six in participating licensed care. Confirm your child's eligibility, the program's participation and its fee with the centre or agency. Do not assume that all licensed programs participate or that your offered place costs $10 a day. [2] [5]
Request a written breakdown covering the daily charge, billed days, deposits, meals, optional services, late pickup and withdrawal notice. Ask how the provider charges for absences and closures. Compare the amount payable over the same period and schedule, rather than comparing one provider's daily figure with another's monthly total.
The chart gives historical Ontario-wide school-age fee benchmarks. Ontario's report records December 2024 mean daily before-and-after-school fees of CAD 24.37 in licensed centres and CAD 27.36 through licensed home child care agencies. Use those figures as background when asking for a quote; they do not establish a Toronto price or a current provider's charge. [5]
Apply for funding while contacting programs
Toronto's fee subsidy helps eligible families pay for licensed care for children up to 12. The City requires families to live in Toronto or be moving there. Each parent or guardian must meet the listed work, school or extra-support criteria and file their most recent income taxes, subject to the stated exceptions for new immigrants and applicants under 18. [1]
Use the City's subsidy calculator to estimate eligibility and your contribution. Prepare your Notice of Assessment or Reassessment, an ODSP statement if applicable, and the names of programs you are considering. Apply online or call 416-338-8888. Ontario Works recipients should contact their caseworker. [1]
Keep the confirmation email containing your subsidy waitlist date and client file number. Tell prospective programs that you have applied. When your name reaches the top of the subsidy waitlist, a caseworker arranges an eligibility meeting; an eligible family then receives a period of time to find a program. Continue asking providers about openings rather than treating the subsidy application as a reservation. [1]
Visit before accepting a place
Toronto assesses licensed programs through its Assessment for Quality Improvement, covering programming, the learning environment and staff interactions. The City posts available centre ratings in its A-to-Z listing. Review the rating, then ask the supervisor about the assessment and any changes since that visit. [3]
During your visit, watch how educators respond when a child needs help. Ask about settling-in visits, allergies, medication, sleep routines, authorized pickup and communication with parents. Discuss your child's support needs and request a clear explanation of how staff would meet them during the hours you plan to book.
Historical school-age before-and-after-school fees in Ontario
Local details that affect your job
Update an existing subsidy application by phone
Toronto does not allow families to use the online subsidy application to reapply or change an existing file. Call 416-338-8888 to update your address, phone number or other information. Keep your confirmation email and file number available when you call. [1]
A missing Toronto quality rating needs a different check
The City does not assess centres without a City service agreement, so those centres have no City quality rating. Ask the supervisor whether the centre has an agreement and arrange a visit. Do not interpret an absent rating as a failed assessment. [3]
Budget using confirmed participation
Toronto states that it has no CWELCC application intake window planned for child care centres in 2026. If a centre discusses future enrollment, ask for its current status and written fees before committing. Base your budget on confirmed participation. [2]
Match the arrangement to your family's needs
| Your priority | Option to investigate | Confirm before accepting |
|---|---|---|
| Care with centre-based oversight | Licensed child care centre | Age-group opening, hours, written fees and available City quality rating |
| Home setting with agency monitoring | Agency-supervised home child care | Agency relationship, home visitor contact and children's ages |
| Lower fees for a child under six | CWELCC-participating licensed care | Current participation, child eligibility and written charge |
| Care around the school day | School's before-and-after-school program | Operator, availability and the hours offered |
| An unlicensed home arrangement | Unlicensed home child care | Written disclosure, permitted child numbers, references and emergency procedures |
Your hiring checklist
- Record your child's age, start date, required days and pickup deadline.
- Ask a centre for its licensing details or a home provider for its supervising agency.
- Confirm CWELCC participation and your child's quoted fee.
- Request written terms for deposits, absences, closures and withdrawal.
- Contact prospective programs while arranging funding.
- Visit and discuss daily routines, emergency contacts and support needs.
- Confirm the offered start date and backup arrangements before accepting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does all licensed child care cost $22 a day?
The published cap concerns eligible children in CWELCC-participating care. Licensing alone does not confirm participation. Ask the centre or agency for its status and your child's written fee. [2] [5]
Can I apply for subsidy before my child is born?
Yes. Toronto allows you to apply when you know you are pregnant or expecting a child through adoption. The City has a subsidy waitlist and advises families to apply as soon as possible. [1]
Does a home child care provider need an individual licence?
Ontario licenses the agency that contracts with and oversees home providers. Individual home providers do not hold Ministry licences. Ask the agency to confirm that it oversees the home you are considering. [4]
Should I choose a centre using its quality rating alone?
Use the rating alongside a visit and a conversation with staff. Toronto describes it as a snapshot of assessment-day conditions. Centres without a City service agreement do not receive a City rating. [3]
Sources and scope
This guide combines the sources below with practical planning guidance. Figures apply to the stated geography and period; request a written quote for your property.