For countries that provide universal early childhood education, nearly all children age three to five are enrolled in formal child care.CBC News heard from parents who commuted an additional two hours a day to take their child to daycare, others who feared bringing up safety concerns for fear of losing their daycare spot, and others still who paid for months of care they didn't need to secure a place for their kid.
"Senior public health officials and senior government officials, both provincially and federally, talk about child care as an essential service," Gregson said. "There is still more work to do, but we are making progress on building access to child care as a core service that people can depend on because affordable, quality, inclusive child care is good for families, communities and the economy," said the ministry.