Paying for child care

The following programs provide help in paying for child care:

Child care subsidy
Ontario Child Care Supplement for Working Families

Canada Child Tax Benefit
Universal Child Care Benefit

Ontario's child care subsidy helps eligible families pay for child care.

The Ontario government, municipal governments and First Nations communities share the cost of the program. The subsidy is provided to child care programs on behalf of eligible families.

Who can apply?

If you are the parent and the child:

is under 12 years old
is in a licensed child care program, or
is a school-aged child enrolled in a recreation program.

The amount you pay for child care depends on your family's adjusted net income. Your adjusted net income equals:

The net income amount on line 236 of the Canada Revenue Agency personal income tax form

minus

any federal Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) payments. (The UCCB is not considered in determining a family's child care fee subsidy).

How to apply

To apply or for more information about this program, contact your local municipality.

The Ontario Child Care Supplement for Working Families is a tax-free monthly payment that helps families pay for the costs of raising children under 7 years of age.

The program helps families who:

are low-to-middle income single or two-parent families
have one stay-at-home parent
have one or both parents studying or in training.

Who can apply?

You can apply if you:

live in Ontario
receive the (federal) Canada Child Tax Benefit
have children under age seven, and
have the appropriate income level, or
have qualifying child care expenses.

Learn more

Contact the Ontario Ministry of Revenue.

The Government of Canada's Universal Child Care Benefit helps Canadian families pay for child care costs. It gives families $100 each month for each child under the age of six.