6The daycare and school system in Ontario and Quebec

The daycare and school system in Ontario and Quebec

Child care options for kids under 6 in Ontario

Without relatives around to help out, you’ll need to find a reliable child care solution as soon as possible.

Daycare centres: There are plenty of licensed, city-operated or privately-run daycare centres, but they are expensive and waiting lists are long. Parents typically register in the second trimester of pregnancy for the child to start when they’re 12-months old! In Toronto, for instance, expect to pay $40/day in the GTA, $90/day downtown. In Ottawa, rates are around $1,000-$2,000 a month. Daycare centres do close for major holidays (and you still pay the usual rate). Finding a part-time spot (mornings, afternoons, a few days a week) is even more challenging than securing a full-time spot—it’s best to find another family looking for a flexible schedule and share a full-time spot.

Home-based daycares: Many caregivers look after a small group of kids in their own home. As of 2015, the maximum number of children is 6 for licensed providers and 5 for unlicensed providers. Rates are often slightly cheaper than for daycare centres but it’s best to visit a few places to see how they are run. To find a great home-based daycare, ask other parents at the park or keep an eye on community boards.

Pre-school: An early-childhood education program is offered for kids aged 4 and 5 in Ontario in the (free) public and (paid) private school systems. Junior and senior kindergarten can be a part-day or full-school day. It follows the regular school calendar, so plan ahead for teachers’ professional development days, summer holidays and bank holidays. Note that school days end early in Canada and many parents have to rely on (paid) after-school programs.

Nannies: Some families hire a childcare provider who will only look after their kid(s). The going rate is around $14-$20/hour. It can be a good solution if you have several kids.

For more information, read:

Child care options for kids under 6 in Quebec

Centres de la petite enfants (CPE): These non-profit childcare services provided by a childcare centre are subsidized and offer reduced-contribution spaces. The basic rate is $8/day and it goes up if your total yearly income is $50,000 or more. In theory, newborns and babies are accepted, but the number of spots is so limited that most kids only start at around 18 months old. Expect a long waiting list for a spot, so register early on La Place 0-5, a one-stop portal to find a daycare spot in Quebec (more info below!).

Private daycare centres: These for-profit centres can be subsidized ($8/day) or not (around $35/day). Note that taxpayers who pay for daycare expenses may be eligible for a federal tax credit.

Home childcare providers (“services de garde en milieu familial”)Caregivers are usually in charge of 6-9 children (if assisted by another adult) in their own home environment. Providers recognized by a home childcare coordinating office are required to meet certain obligations, particularly in terms of children’s health, safety, well-being and development, and may offer subsidized (i.e. cheaper) spots. Non-recognized childcare providers are only allowed to look after a maximum of 6 children and they still have to meet a number of requirements to work. However, they don’t offer subsidized spots—expect to pay $35-$40/day.

Nannies: These childcare providers usually work in your home. Rates vary–you can also share a nanny with another family. Au pairs are another flexible option if you can host them.

Pre-school programs for four-year-olds: Some schools offer a “pré-maternelle” (i.e. Junior Kindergarten) program, but it’s an ongoing pilot and not yet a province-wide initiative.

Pre-school programs for five-year-olds: Kids who turn 5 on September 30 at the latest can start “la maternelle,” i.e. Senior Kindergarten. It’s a one-year program before Grade 1.

The Ontario education system

Education is a provincial government responsibility in Canada, so there are differences between provinces and territories. There are public and private primary and secondary schools and four publicly funded school systems organized into school districts: English public, English Catholic, French public, and French Catholic.

So basically, it starts with picking the main language of instruction—English or French!

Grades are organized as follows:

Grade 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Age

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

To enroll your kid, you’ll need to contact the school board of your choice. For more information, read How do I enrol my child in school?

Note that there are a number of alternative schools and that homeschooling is also an option under certain conditions.

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Julie

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Cofounder of pvtistes.net. I went to Canada and Australia on Working Holiday aventures. It was amazing!

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Kamilak92 I |

I m going through the process of IEC and your blog has been very helpful! Thank you! Do you write everything here from your own experience?