Excerpt from Child Care section
Half of Indigenous children aged 1 to 5 have regular child care
Child care in Canada has become increasingly common. Many parents or guardians rely on care for their young children. In 2022, half (51%) of Indigenous children aged 1 to 5 (excluding those living on reserve) received regular child care. In comparison, 64% of non-Indigenous children aged 1 to 5 were in child care in Canada in 2023 (Canadian Survey on Early Learning and Child Care, 2023).
In addition, the proportion of Indigenous children in child care has not changed since 2006 when, according to the Aboriginal Children’s Survey, 52% of Indigenous children aged 1 to 5 used regular child care. Caution should be used when comparing these two times periods as there was a decrease in child care participation during the COVID-19 pandemic with overall trends in child care still lower in 2022.
The proportions of children in regular child care varied across the Indigenous groups. Specifically, 56% of Métis children aged 1 to 5 participated in regular child care as well as 49% of off-reserve First Nations children. Among Inuit children, just over a third (36%) used regular child care.
The most common type of child care arrangement for children was a daycare centre, nursery school, preschool or centre de la petite enfance (CPE). Specifically, 55% of First Nations children living off reserve, 60% of Métis children and 52%E of Inuit children participated in this type of child care (Chart 5). This was followed by care by a relative other than the parent (31%E among Inuit children, 28% for off-reserve First Nations children, and 23% for Métis children). In terms of an Indigenous specific child care program, Inuit children were the most likely to be in such a child care arrangement at 22%. The proportions were 8% for First Nations children and 4% for Métis children.
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