For millions of Toronto parents, the need to provide day care for their children is a struggle. Some simply cannot afford the rising prices of day care, and are now seeking to utilize the alternative of a home day care service.

The cost of sending a child(ren) to regular day care is highest for infants.

“In Toronto, infant costs average at $1,649 per month, which adds up to $19,788 a year (more than twice a university tuition). The surrounding suburbs of Markham and Vaughan are comparable at $1,454 and $1,363 per month respectively…”

In 2015, the federal government announced the Universal Child Care Benefit of $160 per month, which although helpful, certainly does not provide any substantial economic relief or support. While this benefit may be helpful to parents in many parts of the country, it does not give much relief to parents in Toronto.

“Parents of Torontonian babies will get less than 10 per cent knocked off their monthly child care bill — the median tops $1,676.”

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives @ccpa compared child care costs in all of Canada’s major cities, and Toronto is the highest in the nation. In a 2015 report by The Centre, 89{724e24d8101cdfd35957fde1c343bb418948c3cb0a7a937710a5372fa4012bb5} of Toronto’s day care facilities maintained a waiting list. However, in Ontario, it is illegal to charge fees to remain on the wait list (a practice that was previously common). This places substantial pressure on parents to procure a suitable space for their child(ren). This same report concludes the following:

“Affordability has been identified as a likely principle that will have a role in shaping child care policy across Canada, as the evidence shows that affordable, high quality early learning and child care continues to be a possibility only for a lucky minority of Canadian families in 2016.”

This economic problem may have a solution in home day care, a licensed home day care is a preferable choice among parents. A provider working from their home day care can be affiliated to an agency which is licenced.
If a Provider is with an agency like J&F Home Child Care they are allowed 2 children under two and 4 over two years of age if they are working with an agency. All caregivers must be over eighteen and certified in first aid/ CPR.

To assist parents in the decision-making process, the City of Toronto @TorontoComms provides a locator assessment services on the city’s website

“Canada-wide, the average increase in toddler fees since 2014 was 8{724e24d8101cdfd35957fde1c343bb418948c3cb0a7a937710a5372fa4012bb5} ($53 a month) compared to inflation of 2.5{724e24d8101cdfd35957fde1c343bb418948c3cb0a7a937710a5372fa4012bb5} over the same period. In other words, since 2014, toddler fees have risen nationally three times faster than inflation.”

In Ontario, J & F Child Care Services have been a provider of home day care services for over thirty seven years. From their perspective, home day care services offer parents and their children several advantages:
• A reminder of home – home day services provide an environment that reminds children of their own home. This may ease tension and stress which children can experience in an unfamiliar setting.
• The personal touch – the home owner can create a personalized environment to stimulate the children and make them feel at ease. This is also important for children who have special needs.
• Smaller ratios – these home day care services tend to have a smaller ratio of providers to children. This enables them to provide more personalized care and attention.
• Lower turnover rate – home day services tend to have a lower rate of turnover and this creates less chaos and uncertainty for children and parents.
• Time flexibility – home day care services tend to be more flexible with drop off and pick up times which is a distinct advantage for parents, especially working and single parents.
• Personal feedback – home day care Providers can more easily arrange feedback sessions with parents, where public day care services have far too many responsibilities and children to meet one to one with parents.

In a city where regular day care services are hiking up their fees because it also costs them more to operate, home day care services are offering a positive alternative. The majority of home day care providers are also parents and therefore, more likely to understand the challenges faced by today’s parents. The decision regarding day care is one of the most important facing parents. It is vital to select a qualified home day service owner, someone who has a high degree of experience, and comes with excellent credentials. As with any other service, parents need to take their time and visit as many home day cares as they can prior to making their decision. They will likely come with lower costs and additional benefits as mentioned in this article, but it’s crucial to ensure they also come with the ability to provide the child with the proper care.

The likelihood is that a child who is taken care of in a home day care service will suffer from fewer healthcare problems due to the fact of fewer children. They may also benefit from the presence of mixed aged groups which aids in the development of their social interactions. However, it’s also critical to ensure that they have proper security, a substitute in case they fall ill, and the ability to address all the parents’ concerns.

Here is one of the reasons why this decision is vital to a child’s well-being:

“Studies have shown that positive and negative effects of child care have proven to be long lasting. Infants and toddlers in poor-quality care are more likely to become less compliant and self-regulated pre-schoolers, while high-quality child care programs help children do better in kindergarten and beyond… Regardless of whether you go with a home daycare or a child care center, look for a high-quality program that is licensed, has low teacher-to-child ratios, offers a developmentally appropriate curriculum, and has trained and experienced caregivers who will be invested in your child”