Manitoba parents least likely to use child care: StatsCan

WINNIPEG — Manitoba parents were least likely to use child care in Canada in 2011, a new Statistics Canada report says.

Only 34 per cent of Manitoba parents placed their kids in some form of child care in 2011, compared to the national average of 46 per cent, the study says.

Almost 60 per cent of parents use child care in Quebec, where parents pay a subsidized rate of $7 per day per kid.

Thirty-three per cent of Canadian parents said they chose their childcare service primarily because of its location.

One-fifth of Manitoba parents said they went with their child-care service because it was the only option available – one of the highest rates in Canada.

In the Prairie provinces, among parents with children aged 4 and younger who used child care, 31 per cent used a home daycare, 23 per cent used a daycare centre and 43 per cent used private care, which includes care by grandparents, other relatives or nannies.