Table 4
Parent and guardian reasons for not using any child care arrangement, children aged 0 to 5 not in child care, Canada, 2020
| Population estimate | Estimate | Lower confidence limit at 95% | Upper confidence limit at 95% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| number | % | % | % | |
| One parent decided to stay home | 407,657 | 37.1 | 34.9 | 39.3 |
| I feel it is unsafe during the COVID-19 pandemic | 311,002 | 28.3 | 26.3 | 30.3 |
| Maternity or parental leave | 272,695 | 24.8 | 22.8 | 26.9 |
| The cost is too high | 249,276 | 22.7 | 20.6 | 24.8 |
| Unemployed | 156,850 | 14.3 | 12.6 | 16.1 |
| Child is in kindergarten | 119,963 | 10.9 | 9.8 | 12.1 |
| Shortage of spaces or waiting list | 101,520 | 9.2 | 8.0 | 10.6 |
| Prefer to adjust work or study schedules | 99,114 | 9.0 | 7.9 | 10.3 |
| No child care available because of the COVID-19 pandemic | 58,331 | 5.3 | 4.4 | 6.4 |
| Lack of flexibility of hours | 32,163 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 3.7 |
| Work or school schedules too unpredictable | 29,227 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 3.5 |
| Child care is located too far | 27,550 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 3.3 |
| Lack of transportation | 22,866 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 2.9 |
| Could not find licensed care | 20,160 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 2.4 |
| Services not adapted to special needs | 8,294 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.1 |
| Other reason | 139,385 | 12.7 | 11.1 | 14.4 |
Note(s):
Reasons add up to more than 100% because parents can select multiple options.
Source(s):
Statistics Canada, Survey on Early Learning and Child Care Arrangements, 2020 (5287).
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