Child care (0-5 years)

Topic Editor: John Bennett, M.Ed., PhD, OECD, France

The number of women participating in the Canadian labour market has increased substantially over the past 25 years. According to Statistics Canada, the labour force participation rate of women with children under three rose from 28% in 1976 to 63% in 2003. Similarly, the number of women with children between the ages of three and five increased dramatically, from 37% in 1976 to 69% in 2003.¹

The need for non-parental care, or child care, has risen alongside the ever increasing number of women joining and returning to the workforce. In 1996-97, almost 2 million children under 12 years of age were participating in some type of non-parental care. Approximately 25% of infants under one and 46% of children between the ages of one and five were involved in some form of non parental care.²

Non-parental care or child care can be defined as the care of children in their home, someone else’s home or in a centre, where care and education are provided by a person other than an immediate family member. As child care programs vary in location and design, so do the levels of quality.

The provision of quality in child care centres is mainly determined by three factors:

• low child-adult ratios;
• highly educated providers with specialized training; and
• stimulating environments.

References

See also...

• What do we know?
• What can be done?
• According to experts
• Key messages