Getting started
Why are we conducting this survey?
The Canadian Child Care Worker Survey, sponsored by Employment and Social Development Canada, collects information from centre-based child care workers on factors related to the workplace and staff well-being. The survey aims to better understand how these factors influence the recruitment, retention and recognition of child care workers.
This information will be used to inform research, policies and programs related to the child care workforce.
Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.
Although voluntary, your participation is important so that the information collected is as accurate and complete as possible.
Other important information
Authorization and confidentiality
Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19. Your information will be kept strictly confidential.
Record linkages
To enhance the data from this survey and to reduce the response burden, Statistics Canada will combine the information you provide with information from the Canadian Survey on the Provision of Child Care Services, which may collect information on the characteristics of the child care centre in which you currently work or last worked.
Statistics Canada may also combine the information you provide with other survey or administrative data sources.
Contact us if you have any questions or concerns about record linkage:
Email: infostats@statcan.gc.ca
Telephone: 1-877-949-9492
Mail:
Chief Statistician of Canada
Statistics Canada
Attention of Director, Canadian Center for Education Statistics
150 Tunney’s Pasture Driveway
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0T6
Respondent information
Do you currently work in a centre-based child care setting?
Include daycare centre, les Centre de la petite enfance (CPE), before and after school child care offered in a school or centre, nursery school and preschool.
Exclude family child care home, care offered in a child’s home and home-based child care.
During the past three years, did you work in a centre-based child care setting?
Include daycare centre, les CPE, before and after school child care offered in a school or centre, nursery school and preschool.
Exclude family child care home, care offered in a child’s home and home-based child care.
In what year did you leave this centre-based child care setting?
Was it:
- Before 2024
- 2024
- 2025
- 2026
- Don’t know
This questionnaire will collect information on when you last worked in the child care sector in order for us to understand your experience as a child care worker.
Your [last] position in early learning and child care
What [is/was] your [current] position in this setting?
Include full-time, part-time, casual, on call or supply position.
Exclude volunteer position, unpaid student position or worker on leave.
Select all that apply.
[Is/Was] it:
- Supervisor or director
Include supervisors or directors, whether or not you [work/worked] directly with children
- Position providing early learning and child care directly to children
OR
- I [work/worked] in a child care setting but [do/did] not provide child care directly to children
e.g., accountant, cook, cleaner, auxiliary staff
[In the last week, with/With] which age groups did you normally work?
Select all that apply.
[Is/Was] it:
- Less than 1 year olds
- 1 year olds
- 2 year olds
- 3 year olds
- 4 year olds
- 5 year olds
- 6 to 10 year olds
- 11 years and older
OR
- I [do/did] not normally work with set age groups
In which province or territory [is/was] the child care setting where you [work/worked] located?
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Northwest Territories
- Nova Scotia
- Nunavut
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
- Saskatchewan
- Yukon
What were the reasons for taking your [current] position in this setting?
Select all that apply.
Was it:
- Opportunity for advancement
- Reputation of the child care setting
- Pay
- Benefits
- Convenience of location
- Flexible work hours
- Physical work environment
e.g., secure, clean, adequate and well-maintained indoor and outdoor space which provides accessible features
- Opportunity to work with qualified educators
- Opportunity to work with a different age group
- Only offer I had
- Other reason
- Specify other reason for taking your [current] position
What was the most important reason for taking your [current] position in this setting?
Was it:
- Opportunity for advancement
- Reputation of the child care setting
- Pay
- Benefits
- Convenience of location
- Flexible work hours
- Physical work environment
e.g., secure, clean, adequate and well-maintained indoor and outdoor space which provides accessible features
- Opportunity to work with qualified educators
- Opportunity to work with a different age group
- Only offer I had
- Other reason
Your work environment
The next few questions are about your work environment [when you last worked in a child care setting].
How satisfied [are/were] you with the following aspects of your job [when you last worked in a child care setting]?
a. The total number of hours I [work/worked] each week at this job
- Very satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Somewhat dissatisfied
- Very dissatisfied
- Not applicable
b. The number of days per week I [work/worked] at this job
- Very satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Somewhat dissatisfied
- Very dissatisfied
- Not applicable
c. Work schedule
- Very satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Somewhat dissatisfied
- Very dissatisfied
- Not applicable
d. Workload
- Very satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Somewhat dissatisfied
- Very dissatisfied
- Not applicable
e. Relationship with my co-workers
- Very satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Somewhat dissatisfied
- Very dissatisfied
- Not applicable
f. Relationship with the centre management
- Very satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Somewhat dissatisfied
- Very dissatisfied
- Not applicable
g. Relationship with the families of the children I [work/worked] with
- Very satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Somewhat dissatisfied
- Very dissatisfied
- Not applicable
h. Leadership within the centre
- Very satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Somewhat dissatisfied
- Very dissatisfied
- Not applicable
i. Opportunities for input into decision-making
- Very satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Somewhat dissatisfied
- Very dissatisfied
- Not applicable
j. In-service training received in this particular job
- Very satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Somewhat dissatisfied
- Very dissatisfied
- Not applicable
k. Career opportunities this job [provides/provided]
- Very satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Somewhat dissatisfied
- Very dissatisfied
- Not applicable
l. Evaluation and feedback received from supervisor or director
- Very satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Somewhat dissatisfied
- Very dissatisfied
- Not applicable
m. My salary
- Very satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Somewhat dissatisfied
- Very dissatisfied
- Not applicable
n. My benefits
- Very satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Somewhat dissatisfied
- Very dissatisfied
- Not applicable
o. My ability to respond to personal and family needs
- Very satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Somewhat dissatisfied
- Very dissatisfied
- Not applicable
p. My overall sense of job satisfaction
- Very satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Somewhat dissatisfied
- Very dissatisfied
- Not applicable
q. The physical demands of the job
- Very satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Somewhat dissatisfied
- Very dissatisfied
- Not applicable
How often do each of the following statements reflect how you [feel/felt] about your work [when you last worked in a child care setting]?
a. The work I [do/did] [is/was] stimulating and challenging
- All of the time
- Most of the time
- Occasionally
- Rarely
- Never
b. I [feel/felt] physically exhausted at the end of the day
- All of the time
- Most of the time
- Occasionally
- Rarely
- Never
c. My work [gives/gave] me a sense of accomplishment
- All of the time
- Most of the time
- Occasionally
- Rarely
- Never
d. There [is/was] too little time to do all that [needs/needed] to be done
- All of the time
- Most of the time
- Occasionally
- Rarely
- Never
e. My work [is/was] important
- All of the time
- Most of the time
- Occasionally
- Rarely
- Never
f. Centre policies and procedures [are/were] well-defined
- All of the time
- Most of the time
- Occasionally
- Rarely
- Never
g. I [feel/felt] frustrated by this job
- All of the time
- Most of the time
- Occasionally
- Rarely
- Never
h. I [have/had] reasonable control over most things that [affect/affected] my job satisfaction
- All of the time
- Most of the time
- Occasionally
- Rarely
- Never
i. I [feel/felt] my job [makes/made] good use of my skills and abilities
- All of the time
- Most of the time
- Occasionally
- Rarely
- Never
j. My centre [provides/provided] a well-rounded program for the children who [attend/attended]
- All of the time
- Most of the time
- Occasionally
- Rarely
- Never
k. My centre [supports/supported] the families of the children who [attend/attended]
- All of the time
- Most of the time
- Occasionally
- Rarely
- Never
To what extent do you agree with the following statement?
Early learning and child care workers are valued in society.
Would you say:
- Strongly agree
- Somewhat agree
- Neither disagree nor agree
- Somewhat disagree
- Strongly disagree
Your work schedule [when you last worked in a child care setting]
[Do/Did] you work full-time or part-time [at your current/when you last worked in a] child care setting?
- Full-time
30 hours or more per week
- Part-time
Less than 30 hours per week
- A mixture of full-time and part-time
[Do/Did] you work split shifts [at your current/when you last worked in a] child care setting?
e.g., 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the same day
On average, how many hours [do/did] you usually work per week at this job?
Round to the nearest hour.
Last week, how many hours of paid overtime did you work at this job?
Round to the nearest hour.
Last week, how many extra hours without pay did you work at this job?
Round to the nearest hour.
Why [do/did] you work part-time?
Select all that apply.
[Is/Was] it:
- I [work/worked] part-time for personal reasons
- I [can/could] only find part-time work
- Other reason
- Specify other reason for working part-time
In addition to your [current/last] job at [your/the] child care centre, [do/did] you do any other paid work either for a different employer or through self-employment?
[Is/Was] this job in the child care sector?
What was the main reason you took this additional job?
[Is/Was] it:
- To gain skills or experience related to early childhood education
- To gain skills or experience unrelated to early childhood education
- To earn additional income
- To work for a family business
- For personal interest
- Other reason
- Specify other reason you took this additional job
Approximately how many hours per week [do/did] you usually work at this other job?
Round to the nearest hour.
Your work experience in early learning and child care
How many years of work experience do you have in child care, regardless of whether you worked full-time or part-time?
Include experience at all types of child care settings when reporting total years.
Exclude any extended periods of leave such as parental leave.
Round to the nearest whole year. If you worked less than 6 months, enter a “0”.
- Years working at my [current/last] job in child care
- Total years working in child care, both inside and outside of Canada
In the [past/last] 5 years [that you worked in child care], besides your [current/last] employer, how many other child care employers [have/had] you worked for?
Exclude your [current/last] employer.
Include employers both inside and outside of Canada.
- Number of child care employers
Wages and benefits
The following questions are about the wages and benefits associated with your [current job/last job in a child care setting].
Which of the following [are/were] available to you at your job [when you last worked in a child care setting]?
Select all that apply.
[Is/Was] there:
- Medical coverage for expenses not covered by provincial health plans
- Paid sick or personal leave days
- Life or disability insurance
- Supplementary top-up payments for Employment Insurance (EI) or Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) maternity or parental benefits
- Pension plan or Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) contribution
- Full or partial payment of child care association membership
- Free or subsidized care for my child
- Paid breaks
- Meals provided
- Paid preparation or planning time
- Paid overtime
- Time in lieu for overtime
- Paid release time to participate in Early Childhood Education (ECE)-related training, conferences or workshops
OR
- None of the above
[In the past 12 months/When you last worked in a child care setting], in addition to your regular paycheque, did you receive any of the following payments related to this job?
Select all that apply.
Was there:
- A bonus from your employer
- A wage enhancement
Wage enhancements or top-ups are increases to the wages you normally receive from your employer.
- Other payment
OR
- None of the above
How many days of paid vacation [do/did] you receive annually?
If you [receive/received] pay in lieu of vacation, please enter “0”.
[Are/Were] you covered by a union contract or collective agreement [when you last worked in a child care setting]?
[What/When you last worked in a child care setting, what] [is/was] your usual pay (before deductions, taxes or bonuses) from your [current] employer?
Report your gross pay.
Round to the nearest Canadian dollar.
- Dollar amount
- Frequency
- Weekly
- Bi-weekly
- Monthly
- Annual
- Hourly
Your future in the child care sector
Are you currently looking for a new job?
Are you looking for a job in the child care sector?
- Yes, in the child care sector
- No, not in the child care sector
What are the reasons why you are looking for a new job?
Select all that apply.
Is it:
- Career advancement
- Higher pay
- Better benefits
- Planning to move
e.g., to another city, town, province or country
- Wanting to work with a different age group of children
- Dissatisfied with the current work environment
- Want an early childhood education related job that is not in centre-based child care
- Other reason
- Specify other reason you are looking for a new job
OR
- Don’t know
What is the main reason why you are looking for a new job?
Is it:
- Career advancement
- Higher pay
- Better benefits
- Planning to move
e.g., to another city, town, province or country
- Want to work with a different age group of children
- Dissatisfied with the current work environment
- Want an early childhood education related job that is not in centre-based child care
- Other reason
Looking to the future, do you expect to be working in regulated child care in three years?
In three years, what do you expect to be doing for work?
Is it:
- Working at my current job
- Working at a similar job at another child care setting or organization
- Working in a more senior position at my current setting or organization
- Working in a more senior position at another child care setting or organization
- I plan to open my own child care center
- Don’t know
- Other possibility
- Specify other possibility
Instead of working in the child care sector, what do you expect to be doing in 3 years?
Is it:
- Working in the school system
- Working in an early childhood job that is not in a child care setting
- Working in a field unrelated to early childhood education
- Staying at home with my children
- Returning to school
- Retirement
- Don’t know
- Specify other possibility
Reasons for leaving your position in child care
What are the reasons why you left your position in child care?
Select all that apply.
Was it:
- Career advancement
- Wanted higher pay
- Wanted better benefits
- Moved
e.g., to another city, town, province or country
- Wanting to work with a different age group of children
- Dissatisfaction with work environment
- Wanted an early childhood education related job that was not in centre-based child care
- Other reason
OR
- Don’t know
What is the main reason why you left your position in child care?
Was it:
- Career advancement
- Wanted higher pay
- Wanted better benefits
- Moved
e.g., to another city, town, province or country
- Wanted to work with a different age group of children
- Dissatisfaction with work environment
- Wanted an early childhood education related job that was not in centre-based child care
- Wanted a job that was not related to early childhood education
- Other reason
During the past three months, what was your main activity?
Was it:
- Working at a paid job or business
- Looking for paid work
- Going to school or training
- Retired
- Maternity or paternity or parental leave
- Stay at home parent
- Volunteering
- Unable to work
e.g., disability
- Unable to work due to care responsibilities for a child with a disability or chronic illness
- Other activity
Your education in early learning and child care
What is the highest certificate, diploma or degree that you have completed?
- Less than high school diploma or its equivalent
- High school diploma or a high school equivalency certificate
- Trades certificate or diploma
- College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma (other than trades certificates or diplomas)
- University certificate or diploma below the bachelor’s level
- Bachelor’s degree
e.g., B.A., B.A. (Hons), B.Sc., B.Ed., LL.B
- University certificate, diploma or degree above the bachelor’s level
What is the highest level of training or education in Early Childhood Education (ECE) that you have completed?
Is it:
- Family child care-specific workshop
- ECE courses or workshops lasting less than 1 year or its equivalent
- ECE 1-year certificate or diploma or its equivalent
- ECE 2-year certificate or diploma or its equivalent
- ECE 3-year certificate or diploma or its equivalent
- ECE 3-year degree or its equivalent
- ECE 4-year degree or its equivalent
- ECE graduate studies or its equivalent
- Other ECE training or program
- Specify other ECE training or program
- No ECE training or program
Was this ECE training or program completed in Canada?
During the last 12 months, did you participate in any early learning and child care-related professional development or training?
Include conferences, workshops and courses.
Thinking about your last professional development or skills training activity, what was the main reason why you participated?
Was it:
- Personal interest
- To keep current in my profession
- To help advance my career or to get a promotion
- Required by my employer
- Introduction of new early learning curriculum framework
- Required by regulation
- Other reason
What was the main reason why you did not participate in professional development or training in the past 12 months?
Was it:
- Not enough time
- Could not get time off work
- Too expensive
- Don’t need any professional development
- Not interested in participating in professional development or training
- The courses or programs of interest are not available
- Unable to travel to classes or training venue
- Other reason
[Are/When you last worked in a child care setting, were] you a member of a national or provincial child care association?
Characteristics of your child care setting
The following questions are about the child care setting [where you currently work/in which you last worked]. If you [work/worked] in more than one child care setting, please respond for the setting in which you [work/worked] the most hours.
What is the postal code for the child care setting [where you currently work/in which you last worked]?
- Postal code
Example: A9A 9A9
OR
- Don’t know
What type of child care setting [do/did] you work in?
[Is/Was] it:
- For profit setting
A for profit child care setting aims to make more money than its costs (a profit).
- Either a non-profit setting or a setting operated directly by a government agency
A non-profit child care setting does not aim to make a profit, or all profits are re-invested into the child care setting. The setting may alternately be operated by a government agency such as a school board or district, municipality, regional district or public health authority.
- Don’t know
[Is/Was] the child care setting in which you [work/last worked] licenced by child care authorities from the provincial or local government?
[Does/Did] your child care setting receive any funding from the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) agreement that your province signed with the Government of Canada?
The CWELCC agreement is a plan that is being implemented in stages, to make regulated child care more accessible and affordable. Under this plan, fees reduced to an average of $10 a day in 2025 to 2026.
[Does/Did] your child care setting offer child care services subsidized by the Québec Reduced Contribution Program?
[Is/Was] the child care setting [where you currently work/in which you last worked] part of a multi-site child care program?
i.e., your child care organization has more than one daycare or centre providing child care services at more than one address
What types of child care options [does/did] your setting offer?
Select all that apply.
[Is/Was] it:
- Full-time
i.e., child care offered for 6 hours or more per day and at least 5 days per week
- Part-time
i.e., child care offered for either 6 hours or more per day and less than 5 days per week or for less than 6 hours per day, for any number of days per week
- Before school
- After school
- Weekends
- Evenings
i.e., child care offered after 6 p.m
- Overnight
- Drop-in
- Flexible
i.e., additional or alternative days of child care offered upon request for non regular full-time children
Demographics
What is your gender?
Gender refers to current gender which may be different from sex assigned at birth and may be different from what is indicated on legal documents.
Is it:
- Male
- Female
- Or please specify
What is your age?
What is your marital status?
Is it:
- Married
For Quebec residents only, select the “Married” category if your marital status is “civil union”.
- Living common law
Two people who live together as a couple but who are not legally married to each other.
- Never married (not living common law)
- Separated (not living common law)
- Divorced (not living common law)
- Widowed (not living common law)
Are you First Nations, Métis or Inuk (Inuit)?
First Nations (North American Indian) includes Status and Non-Status Indians.
If “Yes”, select the responses that best describes this person now.
- No, not First Nations, Métis or Inuk (Inuit)
OR
- Yes, First Nations (North American Indian)
- Yes, Métis
- Yes, Inuk (Inuit)
Sociodemographic characteristics
The following question collects information in accordance with the Employment Equity Act and its Regulations and Guidelines to support programs that promote equal opportunity for everyone to share in the social, cultural, and economic life of Canada.
Select all that apply.
Are you:
- White
- South Asian
e.g., East Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan
- Chinese
- Black
- Filipino
- Arab
- Latin American
- Southeast Asian
e.g., Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Thai
- West Asian
e.g., Iranian, Afghan
- Korean
- Japanese
- Other
Where were you born?
Specify place of birth according to present boundaries.
- Born in Canada
- Born outside Canada
- Specify the country
To search for a country, type the first few letters to narrow down the choices.
Note: If the country is not listed, select “Other”.
In what year did you first come to Canada to live?
If exact year is not known, enter best estimate.
Are you now, or have you ever been a landed immigrant?
A “landed immigrant” (permanent resident) is a person who has been granted the right to live in Canada permanently by immigration authorities.
In what year did you first become a landed immigrant?
If exact year is not known, enter best estimate.
Of what country are you a citizen?
Select all that apply.
Are you a citizen of:
- Canada
Is it:
- By birth
- By naturalization
i.e., the process by which an immigrant is granted citizenship of Canada, under the Citizenship Act.
- Another country
- Select the country
To search for a country, type the first few letters to narrow down the choices.
Note: If the country is not listed, select “Other”.
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