Families in Burlington are struggling to secure childcare as wait times for local spaces stretch from one to three years. The ongoing shortage has left parents facing limited options, with many daycare centres already fully booked through 2026.
The situation in the city reflects a wider challenge across the province. While the government is working to expand the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care program—often referred to as the $10-a-day program—the growth in available spots has not kept pace with demand. As of early 2026, the province has created nearly 28,000 net new spaces toward its target of 86,000. In Halton Region, the gap remains significant, with recent applications for over 5,300 spaces being met with only about 1,000 allocations from the province.
The pressure on families was further illustrated in July 2023, when the abrupt closure of The Village Child Care Centre left dozens of Burlington parents searching for new arrangements with almost no notice. Finding alternatives has proven difficult, as local centres face long lists of families waiting for an opening.
A primary driver of these shortages is a lack of qualified staff. Ontario is currently facing a need for approximately 14,700 new registered early childhood educators to meet its expansion goals. Without new recruitment and retention measures, the province is projected to face a shortage of 8,500 educators by the end of 2026. Data shows that the share of registered early childhood educators in childcare programs has dropped from nearly 59 per cent in 2022 to 56 per cent in 2024.
While the goal of the national program is to eventually reach $10-a-day childcare, the timeline for this target has been delayed. Families can currently expect fees to remain at their current average of $19 per day, with a maximum cap of $22 per day, until at least December 31, 2026.
Burlington MP Karina Gould, who played a key role in negotiating the national childcare agreements, continues to engage on these issues as the region navigates ongoing service pressures. Federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Jenna Sudds continues to oversee federal efforts.
