Child Care Fee Calculator
The posted rate is not what most Canadian families pay. Enter your centre's fee, the reduction or subsidy you qualify for, and sibling discounts to get your true cost.
Your results
Reductions apply to the gross fee first; sibling discounts then apply to the reduced fee for the second and later children, the order most centres use. Confirm the order and amounts with your centre.
Worked example
One toddler at $50 per day, five days a week, 50 weeks
Gross: 50 × 5 × 50 = $12,500.00 per year. With a 50 percent fee reduction: $12,500.00 × 0.50 = $6,250.00 per year, which is $520.83 per month and an effective $25.00 per day.
Add a second child with a 20 percent sibling discount and the family total becomes $6,250.00 + $6,250.00 × 0.80 = $11,250.00 per year.
How this calculator works
gross per child = daily rate × days per week × weeks per year (or monthly fee × 12). The family share per child is gross × (1 - reduction percent). Sibling discounts apply to the reduced share for the second and later children.
Context for the reduction field: under the Canada-wide early learning and child care system (CWELCC), participating centres in Ontario and most provinces have cut parent fees substantially from 2021 levels, and means-tested subsidy programs reduce fees further for eligible families. Amounts vary by province, centre and family income, so this calculator uses the percentage you enter rather than promising a program amount.
Common questions
What reduction should I enter?
The one your centre or your municipal subsidy office confirms in writing. If you are estimating before applying, run the calculator at a few percentages (for example 0, 25 and 50 percent) to see the range, and treat the result as a planning range, not a quote.
Does this include the child care tax credit?
No. The federal child care expense deduction and provincial credits are claimed at tax time and depend on income and the lower-income parent's earnings. This page covers what you pay the centre; a tax calculator covers the return side.
Why 50 weeks and not 52?
Most centres close for holidays and many families take vacation weeks where fees still apply or do not, depending on the contract. Adjust the weeks to match your centre's billing policy.
Estimates only, using the fees and percentages you enter. Program amounts (CWELCC, provincial and municipal subsidies) change and depend on eligibility; confirm with your centre and subsidy office. Not financial advice.