Tuesday, February 15, 2005

Spotlight: Child care

Day-care gaining popularity

PARENTS are using day-care centres more than ever to look after their children, according to a new analysis.

More than one-half of Canadian children aged six months to five years were in some form of child care in 2000/01, and one-quarter of them were enrolled in a day-care centre.

Between 1994/95 and 2000/01, the proportion of children in this age group who were in child care increased steadily from 42% to 53%. In addition, during this six-year period, a shift occurred in the type of main child care arrangement used.

The use of day-care centres, as well as care by a relative, became more popular. Of all children in child care in 2000/01, 25% were enrolled in a day-care centre as their main care arrangement, up from about 20% six years earlier.

Meanwhile, the proportion of children who were looked after in their own home by a relative rose from 8% to 14%. And the proportion of children who were looked after in someone else's home by a non-relative tumbled from 44% to 34%.

Care by relatives

The level of child care increased significantly in virtually every province. Furthermore, in some provinces there was a move towards increased use of day-care centres as the main child care arrangement. In others, care in the child's home by a relative increased in popularity.

For example, in 2000/01, nearly 61% of children aged six months to five years in Quebec were in some form of child care, up from 44% in 1994/95. Of these children in child care, 41% were attending a day-care centre, compared with 25% six years earlier.

Conversely, the proportion of children in Quebec who were going to someone else's home for care by a non-relative declined.

Overall, children spent an average of about 27 hours a week in child care during the six-year period.

Demographic background

The increase in the proportion of children in child care during the six-year period occurred regardless of the children's demographic background.

In 2000/01, 85% of children aged six months to five years who lived with a single parent who worked or studied were in some form of child care. This was up significantly from 78% six years earlier.

Among children who lived in households with two parents who worked or studied, two-thirds were in child care in 1994/95. By 2000/01, this had increased to nearly three-quarters.

Data show that children in this age group were more likely to live in a household where both parents worked or studied in 2000/01 than they were six years earlier. Moreover, children were less likely to live in a household where their single parent neither worked nor studied.

For more information, contact Client Services (1-800-461-9050), Special Surveys Division.

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© 2004, 2005 Statistics Canada.