When you search for daycare in Etobicoke, you're entering a system that offers two fundamentally different products, often advertisedunder the same name.
The Decision You're Really Making
When you search for a daycare in Etobicoke, you're entering a system that offers two fundamentally different products, often under the same name.
One provides safe supervision while you work. The other intentionally treats these years as the developmental opportunity they are.
Both government-subsidized and private daycare or early education programsare licensed. Both employ caring people. But they operate with vastly different constraints and value propositions.
This guide explains the differences so you make an informed decision.
The Brain Development Window
Why These Years Matter More Than You Think
The human brain is the only organ not fully developed at birth. A newborn's brain is about 25% of adult size. By age three, it reaches 80%. By age five, 90%.
During these years, more than one million neural connections form every second. Far more than at any other time in life. These connections create the architecture that supports everything that follows: learning, behavior, health, relationships.
According to Harvard's Center on the Developing Child, early experiences shape brain architecture. The brain's plasticity (its ability to adapt) is strongest in early childhood and diminishes over time. While growth continues throughout life, the critical window for establishing healthy foundations is before age 5.
The Serve-and-Return Dynamic
Brain development doesn't happen in isolation. It requires interaction.
When a child babbles and an adult responds, when a toddler points and someone names what they see, when a child shows distress and a caregiver offers comfort, these back-and-forth exchanges build neural pathways.
Harvard researchers call this "serve and return." The child serves; the adult returns. Through thousands of these exchanges, the brain wires itself for language, emotional regulation, and social connection.
Here's the problem: serve and return requires availability. An adult managing eight little ones, while also cleaning and preparing snacks, cannot consistently return every serve. The exchanges that shape brain architecture depend on adults being present enough, physically and emotionally, to respond.
What the Research Shows
Landmark studies have followed children from early childhood into their 30s, 40s, and 50s:
The Perry Preschool Project provided high-quality early education to disadvantaged children starting in 1962. Researchers tracked them for decades and found:
Higher rates of high school graduation
Higher employment and earnings
Lower rates of crime and incarceration
Better physical health in midlife
Benefits that extended to participants' own children
The Abecedarian Project ran from 1972 and found participants in quality early childhood education programs were four times more likely to earn college degrees by age 30. Men in the program had lower rates of hypertension and obesity in their mid-30s.
These weren't marginal differences. The return on investment was estimated to be up to $8 for every $1 invested, depending on the program and measurement method.
The lesson isn't that early education guarantees success. It's that what happens during these years has measurable effects decades later.
Two Models of Early Care
The childcare landscape includes two fundamentally different approaches. Here's how they differ.
Model A
Government-subsidized or funded Daycare
Primary goal: Safe Supervision.
Children are safe, cared for, and engaged in play throughout the day.
Educators provide supervision, meals, rest time, and age-appropriate activities. There is structure with activities such as circle time, outdoor play, arts and crafts. Children learn through play and interaction with peers. Adults ensure the day runs smoothly and safely.
This model serves an essential purpose. It allows parents to work knowing their children are in caring hands. For many families, this is exactly what's needed. For many children, it provides valuable socialization and routine.
This model includes centres in the CWELCC program, regardless of who owns or operates them: private operators, chains, non-profits, private equity firms, or municipalities.
Model B
Private Early Childhood Education Centres
Primary goal: Intentional Development.
Children are safe, cared for and engaged, with intentional focus on maximizing their developmental potential.
Adults facilitate experiences designed to build skills. Play is purposeful; activities are planned and coordinated. Educators are trained and supportedto recognize developmental stages and respond appropriately.
This model requires more: more staff, more training, more resources, more intentionality.
Included in this category are private early childhood education centres and private schools that set their own fees and tuition, rather than being funded or subsidized by programs such as CWELCC.
What This Means for Your Child
Neither model is "wrong." But they're not the same product.
One offers basic care. The other intentionally nurtures your child's development. The price difference reflects a real difference in what happens during those hours.
If you believe these years are a critical window for development, ask yourself: "Is my child happy and developing to their potential?" Safety is necessary but not sufficient.
The CWELCC Landscape
What $10-a-Day Actually Means
Ontario's Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system has made childcare far more affordable. As of January 2025, parent fees are capped at $22/day for participating programs.
This is meaningful. At previous rates of $2,000+ per month, many families couldn't afford licensed care at all. CWELCC addresses a real access problem.
But affordability and quality are different questions.
The Funding Math
CWELCC operators face a difficult equation:
Parent fees are capped, limiting revenue
Government funding is designed to cover the gap, but operators report it doesn't fully cover operational costs
Operators haven't been permitted to raise fees since March 2022, despite inflation exceeding 15% since then
The 2025 funding formula reduces operator revenues by 7-25% depending on their operations
When revenue is constrained, quality becomes a choice between what's essential and what's possible. Operators are often forced to cut back. Not out of neglect, but out of necessity.
What Gets Cut
Operators facing tight margins must prioritize. Here's what typically gets reduced:
Staffing above minimum ratios: Extra staff covering breaks, sick days, and providing buffer are expensive. Most programs operate at exactly the licensed minimum.
Professional development: Training takes educators off the floor, which costs money for coverage. When budgets are tight, PD becomes occasional rather than continuous.
Planning time: Educators in resource-constrained programs are on the floor all day. There's no protected time to plan activities, assess children's progress, or prepare materials.
Enrichment programming: Music instruction, language exposure, specialized activities. These require either extra staff or external providers. The funding formula doesn't cover them.
Facility and material quality: Upgrades, new equipment, and high-quality materials become harder to justify.
None of this reflects operator intentions. Many CWELCC operators want to provide excellent care. They're constrained by what the system allows.
The Staffing Crisis
Ontario's Workforce Problem
Ontario faces a shortage of approximately 8,500 early childhood educators needed to meet its expansion goals.
When a single staff member is absent, rooms close. Parents get morning calls asking them to find alternative care. Children experience disruption.
Why Educators Leave
Of the 4,200 ECEs that Ontario colleges graduate annually, less than 60% enter licensed childcare. Of those who do, only 40% remain after five years.
They leave because of wages, working conditions, stress and burn-out.
The “approved” wage for trained early childhood educators in subsidized centres tops out at approximately $25/hour, the third lowest in Canada.
Many childcare staff hold second (or third) jobs to make ends meet. A majority report housing insecurity.
The Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care described it as “a perfect storm”: a worsening workforce crisis colliding with increased demand as fees drop under CWELCC.
Only 36% of registered ECEs plan to stay in the field for the next five years
24% plan to leave the sector entirely
40% are undecided about their future
That means nearly two-thirds of Ontario's early childhood educators are either leaving or unsure if they'll stay. Those who plan to leave report elevated levels of stress and burnout.
Research shows this directly affects the children in their care. Educators experiencing high stress become less responsive to children's emotions, less engaged in activities, and provide lower quality interactions. When the adults are struggling, the children feel it.
Perhaps most telling: 14% of childcare staff indicated they would be reluctant to recommend their own centre to a family member or friend seeking child care.
The Safety Concern
While Ontario's government does not publicly release detailed serious occurrence data from licensed childcare facilities, what we do know is concerning:
In 2024 alone, there were over 1,250 reports of abuse or neglect in Ontario childcare settings, including 2 child deaths and more than 380 life-threatening injuries or illnesses
The College of Early Childhood Educators has noted an uptick in incidents involving improper handling of children. This trend likely reflects pandemic aftermath, staff burnout, and the prevalence of untrained workers
49% of parents reported difficulty finding childcare in 2023, up from 36% in 2019. This forces families into suboptimal arrangements
Research consistently links understaffing and burnout to safety risks. When educators are stretched thin, supervision lapses. When stress is high, patience runs low. When turnover is constant, institutional knowledge about individual children's needs disappears.
This isn't speculation. An investigation into child welfare by B.C. Representative for Children and Youth found that “chronic understaffing leads to chronic excessive workload; chronic excessive workload leads to undue stress, low morale, elevated rates of sick leave and greater rates of staff exits”. Sometimes, it leads to “tragic results”.
What Private Operators Can Do Differently
Private, autonomous childcare programs are subject to the same Ministry of Education licensing requirements as CWELCC programs. They follow the same regulations, face the same inspections, meet the same safety standards.
The difference isn't in what rules they follow. It's in what they invest beyond the bare minimum.
Control Over Compensation
CWELCC programs: Wages are effectively capped by what the funding formula allows. Operators who want to pay more cannot afford to.
Private programs: Operators set their own compensation. They offer salaries, benefits, paid time off, and growth opportunities that compete for top talent.
The result: private programs attract and retain the best educators. When someone excels, they're rewarded. When someone underperforms, action follows quickly.
CWELCC programs face a different reality. With constrained wages, they struggle to attract talent in the first place. When positions sit vacant, operators keep whoever is available to maintain ratios and keep rooms open. Performance management becomes secondary to simply having enough bodies to operate. The focus shifts from “who's best for our children” to “who's available.”
Investment in Professional Development
CWELCC programs: Professional development is often limited to mandated minimums. Training means time off the floor, which means paying for coverage. Budgets rarely allow for more.
Private programs: Operators are enabled to allocate real resources to ongoing training, specialists, new curriculum materials, coaching, and career development. Some build professional development into educators' schedules as protected time.
The educators in your child's room are the product. How much is being invested in making them better?
Programming and Enrichment
CWELCC programs: The funding formula doesn't cover enrichment extras. Early literacy, music, physical activity and other specialized activities require additional investment that constrained budgets simply don't allow for.
Private programs: Operators budget specifically for programming quality. Enrichment activities are designed into the curriculum, not treated as nice-to-have occasional add-ons. Some private programs offer specializations such as French immersion.
More resources means more than nicer toys.
It means educators have what they need to create experiences that develop the whole child.
Dedicated Operations and Support Staff
In most childcare settings, teaching staff handle some cleaning: tidying up after activities, wiping tables, basic room maintenance. That's normal and expected.
The difference is what happens beyond the basics.
CWELCC programs: Educators often wear multiple hats. The same person leading circle time is often also doing deeper cleaning, preparing snacks, managing bathroom breaks, and documenting the day. When budgets are tight, there's no dedicated cleaning staff for thorough sanitation, no dedicated administrative support, and little to no float staff to provide coverage.
Private programs: Premium operators often go beyond the basics with:
Dedicated management on-site daily, focused on quality of operations and programming
Cleaning staff or custodians ensuring thorough sanitation throughout the day. This means deep cleaning bathrooms, sanitizing high-touch surfaces, and maintaining hygiene standards that busy educators don't have time for
Kitchen staff preparing snacks and meals
Permanent float/supply staff who step in when regular educators need breaks, are sick, or take vacation
Administrative support handling paperwork so educators can focus on children
This matters more than it might seem. When an educator is pulled away to scrub a bathroom or answer the phone, they're not watching children. When there's no coverage for breaks, educators work exhausted. When regular staff is absent and an unfamiliar substitute appears, children lose the consistency they need.
Staffing Above Ratio
Ontario's licensed ratios are minimums: 3:1 for infants, 5:1 for toddlers, 8:1 for preschoolers. These numbers represent the legal floor, not the ideal for early childhood development.
What happens at minimum ratio:
Every adult is essential; no buffer exists
Bathroom breaks become logistical puzzles
One crying child means seven others wait
Sick days force room closures
Educators constantly prioritize urgent needs over everything else
What happens above ratio:
Coverage exists for breaks and sick days
A child in distress gets immediate attention
Educators engage one-on-one while the room stays supervised
No child is left to cry while waiting their turn
Staff have mental bandwidth for quality interactions
The difference between “barely enough adults” and “enough adults plus one” is the difference between coping and thriving.
Focus on Social-Emotional Development
Social-emotional skills (emotional regulation, empathy, relationship-building, and resilience) predict life success.
Research from CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) found that students who engage in SEL programs show an 11 percentile-point gain in academic achievement, with effects lasting up to 18 years. The economic return is estimated at $11 for every $1 invested.
These skills aren't taught in worksheets. They're developed in moments:
When a child is upset and an educator helps them name the feeling
When two children want the same toy and an adult guides resolution
When frustration arises and someone teaches a coping strategy
These moments require availability. Programs with more resources (lower ratios, float staff, dedicated time) are present for them consistently.
Accountability and Ownership
Who Answers to Whom
CWELCC programs are accountable to government funders first. Budget compliance, reporting, and maintaining funding eligibility drive decisions. Families are important, but the funding relationship and basic compliance shape priorities.
Private programs are accountable to families directly. Revenue depends on reputation. Quality directly impacts enrollment and survival.
This changes incentives. When demand exists regardless of quality (because the price is so low), there's less pressure to excel. When families choose you based on what you deliver, excellence becomes essential to survival.
Owner Involvement
In many private programs, especially family-owned operations, owners are heavily involved daily. They see what's happening. They hear feedback directly. They respond immediately.
In larger or institutionally managed programs, decision-makers may be distant. Problems become policies. Feedback enters reporting systems. Change requires approval.
When the person responsible for quality is present, problems get solved.
The Investment Mindset
Private operators have made significant personal investments in their programs. Their reputation is tied to outcomes. Their income depends on families choosing them over alternatives.
This creates alignment. Your success is their success. Your child's experience directly affects their livelihood.
Consistency Matters More Than You Think
Young children thrive on predictability. They need to know who will greet them in the morning, who will comfort them when they're upset, who understands their quirks and fears.
The Impact of Staff Turnover
When educators leave frequently, children experience repeated loss. Each departure means:
A trusted adult disappears
A new face must be learned and trusted
Routines shift as new staff learn the ropes
Development may regress during adjustment periods
High-quality programs invest in retention specifically because consistency matters for children. The educator who has been around for years knows that Maya needs extra transition time and that James calms down when you sing quietly.
In-House Supply Staff
When a regular educator is sick or on vacation, what happens?
In many programs: A substitute arrives. Someone unfamiliar to the children, unfamiliar with routines, learning on the fly. Children spend the day with a stranger. Some become anxious. Some act out. Learning takes a back seat to adjustment.
In well-resourced programs: An in-house float or supply educator steps in. Someone the children already know from coverage during breaks. Someone familiar with the routines, the songs, the children's names. The day continues with minimal disruption.
This difference is invisible to parents touring a facility. But it shapes your child's experience on the days when things don't go as planned.
Kindergarten Readiness
What It Actually Means
Readiness for kindergarten goes beyond knowing letters and numbers. It includes:
Cognitive development: Following multi-step instructions, problem-solving, sustaining attention, curiosity
Language development: Vocabulary, comprehension, ability to express needs and thoughts
Social development: Taking turns, sharing, navigating peer relationships, group participation
Emotional development: Regulating emotions, handling frustration, separating from parents, resilience
Physical development: Fine motor skills (holding a pencil, using scissors), gross motor coordination
Programs with dedicated assessment time, lower ratios, and trained educators track developmental milestones and intervene when a child needs support. They catch the child who's struggling with emotional regulation, or whose fine motor skills need attention.
Programs stretched thin focus on getting through the day. They can miss what your child needs.
The Research on Readiness Gaps
Children's skill levels at school entry predict how they fare throughout school. Research consistently shows that children who enter kindergarten behind often stay behind.
A landmark meta-analysis by Duncan et al. (2007), drawing from six studies, found that school readiness (encompassing academic achievement, attention, and socioemotional skills) significantly predicts later reading and math scores regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, or race. Early math skills proved to be the strongest predictor of later achievement, followed by reading and attention skills.
The achievement gap established by kindergarten proves persistent. Schools reduce it, but few children fully "catch up" to peers who started ahead.
This is why these years matter. Not because kindergarten is a competition, but because the foundation built now supports everything that follows.
The Community Factor
The families at your child's care program become your community for three to five years. Playdates, birthday parties, parent friendships, shared experiences.
Parents who invest significantly in early education tend to be actively engaged in their children's development. They're often eager to compare notes, share resources, and support each other through the challenges of raising young children.
This isn't about socioeconomic status. Many families stretch their budgets for private care because they believe it is right for them. What you'll find is a community of parents who share that belief: people going through the same stage of life, making similar choices, asking similar questions.
That shared experience becomes a support network for you as much as for your child.
Price Does Not Mean Quality
Quality Varies
Not all private programs are excellent. Some are mediocre. A high price tag doesn't guarantee quality. It is important that you do your due diligence, seek recommendations, ask the right questions, and observe for yourself.
Similarly, not all CWELCC programs are struggling. Some provide wonderful care despite constraints. Dedicated superhero educators find ways to give children what they need.
The best programs share characteristics regardless of funding model:
Low turnover, experienced staff who know children by name
Ratios that allow responsiveness, not mere supervision
Intentional curriculum with planned activities
Strong parent communication
Clean, stimulating environments designed for learning
The Structural Reality
The difference is that CWELCC programs must achieve quality with less. Private programs have resources to invest beyond minimums.
Achieving quality under constraint is possible but harder. It depends on individual excellence rather than sustainable systems.
When you evaluate a program, you're evaluating that specific program, not a category. Visit, observe, ask questions. Judge what you see.
What Premium Actually Buys
People
Higher wages attract better candidates. Competitive benefits improve retention. Experienced educators who stay for years know child development deeply. They recognize when something is off. They remember what worked for a child last month.
Low turnover means your child has consistent relationships. The same caring adults who know their personality, their quirks, their needs.
Time
Extra staff means someone is always available to respond. When your child needs attention, they get it promptly. Not after the educator finishes three other tasks.
Planning time means activities are prepared, not improvised. Assessment time means development is tracked, not assumed.
Responsiveness
Lower ratios mean more verbal interactions, more “returned serves”, more moments of genuine connection. Your child isn't waiting for their turn to be noticed, or left to cry unattended.
Environment
Better materials, maintained equipment, thoughtfully designed spaces. Not luxuries, but tools for development.
Accountability
Operators who depend on your satisfaction for their livelihood pay attention to your experience. You're not a replaceable number in a government funding formula. You're a family whose choice matters.
The Investment Frame
At $22/day (CWELCC), annual cost is approximately $5,700.
At $110/day (non-government-funded private), annual cost is approximately $29,000.
The difference is roughly $23,000 per year during the most neurologically active period of your child's life.
Whether that investment makes sense depends on your circumstances, values, and what you believe these years are for.
To lower the financial impact, there are tax credits and relief programs available.
For many families, these credits reduce the effective cost difference significantly.
How to Decide
Tour with Intention
Go beyond the sales pitch. Observe.
Watch the educators:
Are they engaged or exhausted?
How do they respond when a child needs attention?
Do they know children by name and personality?
Are they on the floor with children or managing from the edges?
Watch the children:
Do they seem happy and engaged?
How are conflicts handled?
Is play purposeful or aimless?
Watch the environment:
Is it clean, organized, stimulating?
Are materials accessible and age-appropriate?
Does it feel like a place you'd want to spend your day?
Ask the Hard Questions
Staffing:
What's your staff turnover rate?
How often do rooms close due to staffing shortages?
What happens when a regular educator is absent?
What are your actual ratios most days, beyond the licensed minimums?
Development:
Do educators get protected planning time?
How do you track developmental milestones?
What happens when a child is falling behind?
What enrichment or specialty programming do you offer?
Operations:
Who owns/manages this program, and are they on-site?
How do you handle parent feedback?
What professional development do educators receive?
How long has your longest-tenured educator been here?
For a detailed checklist of questions, see our Tour Checklist.
Trust Your Gut
After touring, ask yourself:
Does this feel like a place where children thrive?
Would I want to spend my day here?
Do I trust the people I met with my child?
Your instincts matter. You know your child. You know what they need.
The Bottom Line
We hope this guide helped you understand your options and their tradeoffs.
CWELCC has made childcare accessible to families who couldn't afford it before. That's meaningful and important.
But accessibility and quality are different questions. The programs receiving $22/day in parent fees are working with a fraction of the resources available to programs receiving $100/day. That difference affects staffing, training, programming, responsiveness, and ultimately what happens in your child's day. Importantly, remember that a higher price tag doesn't guarantee better quality either.
Some parents conclude that safe supervision during these years is sufficient. Others decide to invest during this critical developmental window. Both are legitimate conclusions based on different values and family circumstances.
What matters is that you're making an informed choice. Do not assume all licensed programs are equivalent because they share a category.
For more guidance on evaluating programs, download our Tour Checklist.
See what la creme de la creme looks like: warm care, intentional learning environments,
specialist-led enrichment, and a premium experience designed around early childhood development.