Questions, answered
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Government licence freshness is partial
- Ontario: source snapshot from Jul 31, 2026; checked today, 1:45 a.m.
- British Columbia: frozen snapshot from Aug 6, 2026
Is DaycareMap free?
Yes. Searching, comparing, saving centres, the guided application, and waitlist tracking are all free. No account is needed to browse. Signing in just syncs your saved centres across devices. DaycareMap is run by two moms without advertising or monthly fees. We cover the hosting. If it’s saved you time, you’re welcome to buy us a coffee! It’s completely optional, and it changes nothing about this free website that we are so pleased to share with you.
Where does the daycare information come from?
Official licence data from the City of Toronto, the Province of Ontario, and the Province of British Columbia anchors the directory. Regional and centre-level sources add vacancies, subsidy, websites, and application details where they publish them or we can verify them. Added details are checked on different schedules. Published coverage has partial freshness: Ontario: source snapshot from Jul 31, 2026; checked today, 1:45 a.m.; British Columbia: frozen snapshot from Aug 6, 2026.
What does CWELCC mean?
CWELCC is the Canada-Wide Early Learning & Child Care system. Centres that participate cap their base fees for children under 6, roughly $22/day at Ontario's current cap. Each province sets its own cap and runs its own version, so the figure differs outside Ontario. It's a fee-reduction status rather than a flat price. School-age fees and extras are set by the centre, so always confirm the exact fee directly.
How does child-care fee subsidy work?
It depends on where you live. In Ontario, fee subsidy is administered by local service managers, and the service manager for your area sets eligibility and the application process. In British Columbia, the province administers the Affordable Child Care Benefit directly. Either way, applying for help with fees is separate from applying to the daycare itself. The fee-subsidy filter shows a centre only where participation has been verified in a relevant government source, so confirm eligibility and application steps with the administrator for your province.
What does an “open spot” or vacancy mean?
It means a government or verified source currently lists a vacancy in that program. Vacancy is centre-reported and can be out of date, so treat it as a strong hint to call rather than a guarantee. Vacancy data is not published consistently, so confirm openings directly with every centre.
How do daycare waitlists work?
Most centres keep their own waitlists and take applications by email, phone, or a form, and each does it differently. Families who apply early and check in periodically tend to move up. DaycareMap drafts your application, keeps all your waitlists in one board, and flags when it's time to follow up.
How many centres should I apply to?
Most families apply to several. Eight to twelve is common, because spots are scarce and timing is unpredictable. Your board is built to track them all in one place.
Is the fee or tuition information guaranteed to be current?
No. Fees change and aren't always published. We show CWELCC status and the most recent fee on record where we have it, marked approximate. Always confirm the current fee with the centre.
What about my privacy and my child's details?
We’re Toronto parents too, so we know how much your family’s privacy matters. If you don’t log in, we don’t store any of your data: everything you save or type into an application draft stays in your browser, on your device. If you do log in, we keep your saved centres and waitlists on secure servers so you can reach them from any of your devices. Either way, we never sell your data. See our Privacy page for the details.
Which areas do you cover?
Published licensed child care across Ontario and British Columbia. Official licence data is province-wide in each; vacancy, subsidy, quality, website, and application details vary by local source and centre.
Who are you?
We’re two moms raising our beautiful son in the west end of Toronto. We built DaycareMap because we lived the daycare scramble ourselves and wished something like it already existed.
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