Childcare Subsidy & Cost Calculator by Province (2026)
Child care rules are different in every province — $22/day caps in Ontario, $10/day in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, fee reductions plus the Affordable Child Care Benefit in BC, a flat parent fee in Alberta, a flat reduced-contribution rate in Quebec, and fixed daily fee reductions in Nova Scotia. Below are worked examples for a toddler in full-time licensed centre care in every province, computed by MapleCub's audited subsidy rules engine — the same engine that powers the interactive calculator further down this page.
Rules verified against official government sources on 2026-07-05. Figures are estimates, not a guarantee of eligibility or a spot.
Compare child care costs between provinces
This calculator computes 2026 child care costs for all seven provinces side by side, using the same audited rules engine for every scenario — so the numbers below are directly comparable, not just province-by-province estimates pulled from different sources. That’s useful for families weighing a move between provinces, not only families comparing programs within one: a family relocating from Calgary to Ottawa, for example, trades Alberta’s flat parent fee (about $15/day) for Ontario’s $22/day CWELCC cap — a real cost difference before either province’s income-tested subsidy is applied. For the full eight-province breakdown of supply, one-option communities, and $10-a-day status, see MapleCub’s The State of Licensed Child Care in Canada 2026 report.
What child care costs after subsidies, by province
Scenario: one toddler (18–36 months), full-time (5 days/week, 9 hours/day) licensed centre care, at a provider that participates in the province's funding program, paying the province's typical sticker fee. Two family-income points are shown where income changes the result.
Ontario — typical sticker fee $1,578.00/mo
| Scenario | Gross monthly fee | Programs applied | Net monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family income $75,000/yr | $1,578.00/mo | CWELCC fee cap ($22/day): −$1,101.33 | $476.67/mo |
| Family income $45,000/yr | $1,578.00/mo | CWELCC fee cap ($22/day): −$1,101.33Ontario child care fee subsidy (if approved): −$330.83estimate | $145.84/mo |
At the typical $1,578.00/month sticker fee, Ontario's programs bring a $75,000-income family's bill to $476.67/month (70% off) and a $45,000-income family's bill to $145.84/month.
Full Ontario child care cost guide →British Columbia — typical sticker fee $1,785.00/mo
| Scenario | Gross monthly fee | Programs applied | Net monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family income $75,000/yr | $1,785.00/mo | CCFRI fee reduction (automatic): −$900.00Affordable Child Care Benefit (if approved): −$771.68estimate | $113.32/mo |
| Family income $45,000/yr | $1,785.00/mo | CCFRI fee reduction (automatic): −$900.00Affordable Child Care Benefit (if approved): −$885.00estimate | $0.00/mo |
At the typical $1,785.00/month sticker fee, British Columbia's programs bring a $75,000-income family's bill to $113.32/month (94% off) and a $45,000-income family's bill to $0.00/month.
Full British Columbia child care cost guide →Alberta — typical sticker fee $1,000.00/mo
| Scenario | Gross monthly fee | Programs applied | Net monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family income $75,000/yr | $1,000.00/mo | Alberta flat parent fee ($326.25/month): −$673.75 | $326.25/mo |
| Family income $45,000/yr | $1,000.00/mo | Alberta flat parent fee ($326.25/month): −$673.75 | $326.25/mo |
At the typical $1,000.00/month sticker fee, Alberta's programs bring the bill to $326.25/month — the same regardless of family income, since this province's programs here aren't income-tested.
Full Alberta child care cost guide →Quebec — typical sticker fee $980.00/mo
| Scenario | Gross monthly fee | Programs applied | Net monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family income $75,000/yr | $980.00/mo | Quebec reduced contribution ($9.65/day, 2026): −$770.92 | $209.08/mo |
| Family income $45,000/yr | $980.00/mo | Quebec reduced contribution ($9.65/day, 2026): −$770.92 | $209.08/mo |
At the typical $980.00/month sticker fee, Quebec's programs bring the bill to $209.08/month — the same regardless of family income, since this province's programs here aren't income-tested.
Full Quebec child care cost guide →Manitoba — typical sticker fee $550.00/mo
| Scenario | Gross monthly fee | Programs applied | Net monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family income $75,000/yr | $550.00/mo | Manitoba regulated fee cap ($10/day): −$333.33 | $216.67/mo |
| Family income $45,000/yr | $550.00/mo | Manitoba regulated fee cap ($10/day): −$333.33 | $216.67/mo |
Additional help you may qualify for (Family income $75,000/yr): You may qualify for a partial Manitoba child care subsidy — amounts depend on family composition; use Manitoba's Subsidy Eligibility Estimator.
Additional help you may qualify for (Family income $45,000/yr): You may qualify for a partial Manitoba child care subsidy — amounts depend on family composition; use Manitoba's Subsidy Eligibility Estimator.
At the typical $550.00/month sticker fee, Manitoba's programs bring the bill to $216.67/month — the same base fee at both incomes shown, but an income-tested subsidy may reduce it further; see the note below.
Full Manitoba child care cost guide →Saskatchewan — typical sticker fee $800.00/mo
| Scenario | Gross monthly fee | Programs applied | Net monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family income $75,000/yr | $800.00/mo | Saskatchewan $10/day program: −$582.50 | $217.50/mo |
| Family income $45,000/yr | $800.00/mo | Saskatchewan $10/day program: −$582.50 | $217.50/mo |
At the typical $800.00/month sticker fee, Saskatchewan's programs bring the bill to $217.50/month — the same regardless of family income, since this province's programs here aren't income-tested.
Full Saskatchewan child care cost guide →Nova Scotia — typical sticker fee $900.00/mo
| Scenario | Gross monthly fee | Programs applied | Net monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family income $75,000/yr | $900.00/mo | Nova Scotia fee reduction (automatic): −$395.42 | $504.58/mo |
| Family income $45,000/yr | $900.00/mo | Nova Scotia fee reduction (automatic): −$395.42 | $504.58/mo |
Additional help you may qualify for (Family income $45,000/yr): With assessed family income under $70,000 you likely also qualify for Nova Scotia's sliding-scale child care subsidy — many families pay $0/day. The exact scale isn't published; apply online or ask your provider.
At the typical $900.00/month sticker fee, Nova Scotia's programs bring the bill to $504.58/month at both incomes shown — but only a family earning $45,000/yr (not the higher income shown) may also qualify for an income-tested subsidy that reduces it further; see the note below.
Full Nova Scotia child care cost guide →Sticker fees are market medians for centre-based toddler care; your provider's fee may differ. "Estimate" programs require an application and are not guaranteed. Use the calculator below for your own age band, care type, schedule and income.
Common questions
Is child care $10 a day everywhere in Canada in 2026?
No — it varies by province. Saskatchewan (flat $217.50/month full-time) and Manitoba (regulated cap at funded facilities) are close to the $10-a-day target for young children. Ontario is held at a $22/day cap, Alberta charges a flat monthly parent fee, Quebec's subsidized rate is a flat daily amount, and British Columbia and Nova Scotia use fee reductions rather than a flat $10 rate. Rules verified against official sources on 2026-07-05.
Can I compare child care costs between provinces?
Yes — every province's numbers on this page come from the same audited rules engine, computed the same way on the same day (verified 2026-07-05), so they're directly comparable. That matters for families weighing a move: a family relocating from Calgary to Ottawa, for example, trades Alberta's flat parent fee (about $15/day) for Ontario's $22/day CWELCC cap — a real cost difference before either province's income-tested subsidy is applied. For the full province-by-province breakdown — supply, one-option communities, and the $10-a-day status of all eight provinces MapleCub covers — see MapleCub's State of Licensed Child Care in Canada 2026 report.
How much can subsidies actually reduce the bill?
It depends on the province and the family's income. For a toddler in full-time centre care at a typical sticker fee, Ontario's CWELCC fee cap program took a $75,000-income family from $1,578.00 to $476.67/month (70% off) in this example, and British Columbia's CCFRI fee reduction plus Affordable Child Care Benefit programs took $1,785.00 to $113.32/month (94% off). See the worked examples below for all 7 provinces and a lower-income comparison.
What does this calculator use to estimate my cost?
MapleCub's calculator runs your province, child's age band, care type, schedule and family income through the same rules engine used on this page — CWELCC fee caps and municipal subsidies (Ontario), CCFRI and the Affordable Child Care Benefit (British Columbia), the flat parent fee and Child Care Subsidy (Alberta), the reduced-contribution rate and refundable tax credit (Quebec), regulated fee caps and the Child Care Subsidy (Manitoba), the $10-a-day program (Saskatchewan), and fixed daily fee reductions plus the Child Care Subsidy (Nova Scotia).
Does this guarantee I'll qualify for a subsidy?
No. Automatic programs (like Ontario's CWELCC cap, BC's CCFRI, Alberta's flat parent fee, Quebec's reduced contribution, Manitoba's and Saskatchewan's fee caps, and Nova Scotia's daily fee reduction) apply at participating providers without an application. Income-tested subsidies — Ontario's municipal fee subsidy, BC's ACCB, Alberta's and Manitoba's Child Care Subsidy, Quebec's refundable tax credit, and Nova Scotia's Child Care Subsidy — are estimates only: actual eligibility and amounts are decided by your province or municipality, waitlists can apply, and this is not a guarantee of a spot or funding.
Official sources
- https://www.ontario.ca/page/canada-ontario-early-years-and-child-care-agreement
- https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/150138
- https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/news/2025/12/canada-and-ontario-agree-to-one-year-extension-of-the-canada-wide-early-learning-and-child-care-agreement.html
- https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/family-and-social-supports/child-care/childcarebc-programs/ccfri/ccfri_funding_guidelines_26_27.pdf
- https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/189_2024
- https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/caring-for-young-children/childcarebc-programs/child-care-benefit/information-for-families/rates-payments
- https://www.alberta.ca/childcare-fees
- https://www.alberta.ca/child-care-subsidy-program
- https://www.alberta.ca/affordability-grant
- https://www.quebec.ca/en/family-and-support-for-individuals/childhood/childcare-centres/costs
- https://www.revenuquebec.ca/en/citizens/tax-credits/tax-credit-for-childcare-expenses/advance-payments/rates-for-the-tax-credit-for-childcare-expenses-for-2026/
- https://cdn-contenu.quebec.ca/cdn-contenu/adm/min/finances/publications-adm/parametres/AUTFR_RegimeImpot2026.pdf
- https://www.gov.mb.ca/education/childcare/families/childcare_fees.html
- https://www.gov.mb.ca/education/childcare/families/childcare_subsidies.html
- https://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/family-and-social-support/child-care/child-care-updates
- https://childcarenovascotia.ca/families/50-percent-fee-reduction
- https://childcarenovascotia.ca/families/child-care-subsidy
Are you an operator? These figures are what families pay — for what your program is funded to receive, see MapleCub's free operator funding calculators for ON, QC, BC, AB & MB.
Calculate your own cost
Pick your province, child's age, care type and income for a personalized estimate.