Ottawa, ON – Laila Goodridge, Conservative Shadow Minister for Social Development and Families, issued the following statement on the Liberals’ latest failure to deliver on their touted child care program:
“New federal documents confirm what families across Canada have been experiencing for years: the Liberal child care plan is an illusion that fails to deliver.
“In 2021, the Liberals promised 250,000 new child care spaces by 2026, backed by $30 billion in spending. The government admits that while over 210,000 spaces have been announced, only about 155,000 – or just 62 per cent – have been created as of January 2026.
“Announcements do not equal access, and for parents stuck on waitlists or unable to find care that fits their family, that gap has become all too real. Even then, many of these are not fully operational or accessible to the families who need them most.
“Sixty-two per cent earns a C-, which would put Liberal Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu’s performance at the bottom of any Canadian class. The Liberals missed their own deadline and have offered no explanation, nor a plan to fix it.
“Experts warned from the beginning that the Liberals’ targets were unrealistic. The result is exactly what we are seeing today: a system that cannot meet demand, leaving hundreds of thousands of families without access to licensed care.
“Since 2019, Desjardins reported that the ‘the share of respondents mentioning the lack of available childcare spaces or long waitlists rose sharply over this period, from 1 in 15 to more than 1 in 5,’ while Statistics Canada said the proportion of parents who used child care and who reported having difficulty finding it increased from about 40 per cent in 2022 to 50 per cent in 2025.
“The Liberals promised affordable and accessible child care, but have delivered the opposite. Families are facing fewer available spaces, longer waitlists and a system that simply is not working for them.
“Conservatives believe parents should be at the centre of child care decisions. We will continue to champion real choice that respects parents and provides affordable care, whether through home-based care, flexible options or community providers.
“Canadian families deserve better than missed targets and empty promises. Conservatives will keep fighting for a child care system that actually delivers results for parents and children.”