Daycare in New Brunswick is highly affordable due to government-regulated fee caps under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement (CWELCC). Licensed centers charge a maximum of CAD 10 per day for infants and toddlers. However, families in rural areas face challenges with limited availability and access to licensed daycare services, resulting in longer travel times or reliance on informal childcare.
Several factors influence daycare costs and accessibility in New Brunswick:
These factors demonstrate how affordability is balanced with accessibility challenges in New Brunswick’s daycare landscape.
New Brunswick’s daycare services are supported by the following critical components:
These components help maintain a robust daycare system while highlighting areas for improvement in rural service coverage and workforce support.
New Brunswick’s daycare system benefits from significant government policies and funding:
These policies ensure affordability and quality, though rural service gaps and workforce shortages remain key challenges.
Daycare costs in New Brunswick are consistent across licensed centers due to fee caps, but service availability varies:
Uniform fees ensure affordability, but disparities in service availability highlight the need for expanded daycare capacity in rural areas.
New Brunswick’s daycare system is a model of affordability, with government-regulated fee caps ensuring that licensed centers remain accessible to most families. However, challenges in rural accessibility and staffing shortages limit equitable access to quality childcare services. Addressing these issues through expanded infrastructure and workforce development will be essential to meeting the needs of families across the province.