Canada has made major progress in improving child care affordability through the CWELCC system—but expansion is now limited by a different challenge: infrastructure. With demand rising and waitlists growing, the sector’s biggest barrier is no longer funding operations, but financing the physical spaces needed to create new child care spots. 

Traditional financing models are not well suited to the non-profit child care sector, leaving many viable projects unable to move forward. The next phase of growth will require targeted solutions such as low-cost loans, social infrastructure bonds, and a coordinated national financing system. 

To unlock expansion at scale, three key actions are needed: renewing CWELCC agreements, implementing the federal $1 billion loan program, and establishing a Canada-wide child care infrastructure financing framework. With the right tools in place, Canada can move from affordability to building the spaces families need.