I think cost of living is always relative to wages though right? So if a family were to relocate from Manitoba to Ontario, the childcare costs wouldn't be higher comparatively because their wage would go up so it's not that childcare is more expensive in Ontario when you look at it like this. It's like the cost of childcare in Toronto being @ $60 a day on average, that's a reflection of the fact that peoples wages are generally higher in the city and property prices are also higher. I live in Niagara Region and while the wages are still not considered low, there is a high ratio of poverty in certain areas so this means that childcare is generally cheaper than say 20 minutes up the road in Burlington. Burlington wages are not higher than here in Niagara, but a lot of wealth is there. It is one of the most expensive cities in the country to live in so it commands a higher daily rate for childcare because people can afford it. In the south of the city near the lake where I used to live and do home daycare, the going rate now is $50-$55 on average. I think where ever you live, the average cost of childcare is relative to the area so that doesn't make Ontario more expensive. What about BC?? It is expensive to live there, but minimum wage is higher. My husbands job pays an additional $20 an hour out their but it's not better paying for him as the cost of living is so much higher than here.
I think just as there are people offering childcare at a much lower rate undercutting a lot of providers with their $25 a day childcare in areas 10-15 more a day generally, there are also people offering cheap summer care. I think maybe as more and more of these cheapy rates are coming up parents are finding the courage or having the nerve depending on how you look at things, to ask for a reduced rate. I am not digging at anyone who charges less than the average, so lets not go there lol :) A parent of an older child likely thinks an older child is easier because at home they spend their days in their rooms playing video games and watching tv. They don't understand that in offering a childcare service we are providing activities for all ages so they can be entertained, engaged and educated. If anything it is more expensive to accommodate an older child who will need more to keep them happy all day than a 2 year old, and it is much more work accommodating the needs of a providers regular early years group in addition to having a suitable program for the older children. Those with experience and their own children obviously know how to integrate the older kids into their regular activities to reduce the potential extra costs, but over an extended period of time, 9 weeks of summer, the majority of older children are going to be bored and under stimulated being a "daycare helper" for that many hours and that many weeks. It's kind of a disservice to them too. Oh and did I mention the food....anyone with older children of their own know first hand how much food a growing child/adolescent eats. Jeez, with my kids school doing a balanced day my two are famished when they get in.
