Children's Services Division

Toronto's:    child care system  |  children   |  subsidy system

Toronto's child care system
Over 900 child care centres and 21 home child care agencies operate in Toronto and together they provide over 55,000 licensed child care spaces for the city's children.

Children's Services Fact Sheets
Fall 2011 Fact Sheet 
Spring 2011 Fact Sheet 
Winter 2011 Fact Sheet 
Fall 2010 Fact Sheet 
Spring 2010 Fact Sheet 
Winter 2010 Fact Sheet 
Fall 2009 Fact Sheet 
Spring 2009 Fact Sheet 
Fall 2008 Fact Sheet
Spring 2008 Fact Sheet
Summer 2008 Fact Sheet

Child care centres
A-Z index of child care centres
Ward based index of child care centres
Aboriginal child care centres
Francophone child care centres

 

Licensed home child care
Home child care agencies

Toronto's subsidy system
Subsidized child care assists families in meeting the cost of licensed care for their children. Over 650 (71%) child care centres have a subsidy contract with the City of Toronto. Currently, there are 24,000 subsidized spaces available to families in the city.

Ward Equity
In order to equitably distribute the limited number of subsidy spaces among city wards, ward equity targets were established. A ward's equity target is based on dividing the number of available subsidized spaces by the ward's proportion of the City's low-income children.
ward equity targets for subsidized spaces
ward equity versus subsidy enrollment

Subsidy enrollment
subsidy enrollment
Ontario Works enrollment


Child care vacancies
At any given time there will always be child care vacancies in the licensed system because of the progression of children from one age group to another as well as the movement of children in and out of the system.
summary of child care vacancies by ward

Children waiting for subsidy
The City maintains a master waiting list of families who are eligible for subsidy based on a first-come first-served policy. This is a waiting list for financial assistance only. The City does not have information on the waiting list for a particular child care centre. Each centre is responsible for maintaining a separate waiting list of all families who would like a spot at their centre.
summary of children waiting for subsidy by city ward

Toronto's children

The 2006 Canada Census counted 353,820 children 0 to 12 years of age living in Toronto.


Ward Reports on Children - statistical information on the children and families residing in each ward as well as maps and listings of children's programs and facilities including: child care, community centres,libraries,elementary schools,family resource programs & Ontario Early Years Centres.

Toronto Report Card on Children