EXCERPTS

CALGARY (660 NEWS) – As Calgary’s economy continues to sputter, childcare costs have levelled off, but some disturbing trends are still present in the industry.

According to a childcare fees report authored by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Calgarians are paying between $1,000 and $1,100 per month depending on their kids’ age, which lands it in the middle of the pack of Canada’s largest cities.

The report also shows the number of daycare operators charging to put a child’s name on a waitlist.

In fact, the data shows nearly half of the centres in Calgary follow that practice with some asking as much as one month’s fees.

That is happening even in centres offering government subsidized $25 a daycare, which the report points out would deter some low-income families from accessing the very service set to help them out.

The highest monthly fees in the country, according to the report are in Toronto where one kid can cost nearly $1,500 per month, with the lowest in Montreal at less than $200 a month.