Child Care Exchange Magazine is running a web based fee survey on the cost of fulltime child care for babies to school age children.  Here is the info from the article:

For the past decade Exchange has been conducting bi-annual surveys on fees charged throughout the continent for children of different ages. The last survey, conducted in the spring of 2005, found that fees varied dramatically not only by age of children served, but also by regions — no surprises here! For example, on average, fees for 4-year-olds were 7% lower than fees for 2-year-olds; fees for 2-year-olds were 37% lower in the South than in New England; and fees for 4-year-olds were 30% lower in the Southwest than in the Mid-Atlantic.

Over the decade there has also been a steady increase in fees across the board. However, the increases have generally been modest, well below the increase in the cost of living index.

We need everyone’s help to conduct a robust survey of fees in the USA and Canada in 2007. Please go to the Exchange Insta Poll and share with us the typical fees in your community.

Click HERE if you would like to complete the survey.  Click HERE to see the survey results.

Surprise, suprise…the federal report on the child care spaces initiative was released today.  This is a report that many thought would never see the light of day!

The Ministerial Advisory Committee on the Government of Canada’s Child Care Spaces Initiative report entitled, “Child Care Space Recommendations –  Supporting Canadian Children and Families: Addressing the Gap Between the Supply and Demand for High Quality Child Care” was released today.

I’d be interested in people’s thoughts on this report.  Please post your comments below.  Thanks.