Surrey has second most expensive daycare in Canada

Surrey daycare costs among highest in country B.C.'s fastest growing city has been given the dubious distinction of having the second most expensive daycare in the country.

B.C.’s fastest growing city has been given the dubious distinction of having the second most expensive daycare in the country.

The Parent Trap, a study released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, cites Surrey as having the second highest daycare costs in Canada, in comparison with wages.

A whopping 35-per-cent of a Surrey woman’s income is consumed by child care fees, according to the survey.

Brampton, Ontario is the country’s least affordable city for fees, accounting for 36 per cent of a woman’s income – the equivalent of four months of work.

Vancouver ranked 10th worst, with 29-per-cent of salary going to child care costs. Fees in the City of Glass, as well as Burnaby, hover around $1,000 per month.

The affordability study looks at the median subsidized child care fees for infants, toddlers and preschoolers in Canada’s largest 22 cities. Its affordability index compares those fees with the median income of women aged 25 to 34 in that city.

In comparison, mothers in Quebec spent dramatically less to have their children cared for.

Moms in Laval, Montreal, Longueil and Quebec city spent between five and six per cent of their earnings on child care fees – a fraction of what women in the worst cities paid. That’s equal to about $152 a month.

Quebec parents pay just $7.30 a day for day care because of its provincial policy.

The study’s authors say that provinces that offered subsidies for daycare were by far the most affordable, and translated to a higher percentage of women staying in the workforce when they have children.

David Macdonald said the most efficient way to reduce childcare costs is to put a cap on fees to make sure they’re in line with salaries. He also suggested provinces could provide subsidies to parents.

“Affordable child care is an important issue not only for parents but also for the Canadian economy as it plays a significant role in labour force participation, particularly for women,” the study reads.

“When parents are given an affordable choice, they choose to work, which increases incomes for all Canadians.”