Early childhood education and care in Canada
New edition February 2026: ECEC in Canada 2024/2025
Since the early 1990s, CRRU has published pan-Canadian compilations of early childhood education and care (ECEC) data about every two years – Canada’s main source of consistently collected, longitudinal, cross-Canada data and information about regulated child care. The reports include profiles of ECEC services in each province and territory including information on spaces, funding, regulations, staffing, and governance, as well as data and information on kindergarten and parental leave. Cross-Canada tables present useful data on key topics and trends, covering the period from 1992 to the present. The Backgrounder provides further details. ECEC in Canada publications are available to download using the links below. Versions through 2008 were also available in print.
Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada 2024/2025 is the 15th edition of ECEC in Canada, and the latest report in the series. This report returns to the traditional “full report” format, after the publication of ECEC in Canada 2023 and Interim Space Statistics 2024. In addition to data on child care spaces, enrolment, auspice, funding, and kindergarten enrolment and provision, it covers policy and programs in detail, documenting changes from 2022 to 2025 since CRRU’s last full report on 2021 data.
Key Findings from Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada: Summary and Analysis This summary is based on Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada 2024/2025 and previous editions from 1992 to 2023. Aimed at a wide audience of child care data and information users from policy makers to parents, its purpose is to contribute to understanding the state of Canadian early learning and child care at the end of 2025. Available in EN or FR for download.