Canada is on track to fall short of its pledge to provide $10-a-day child care nationwide by 2026, according to a report published Wednesday by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. The study finds that only six provinces and territories—Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador—have already met or bettered the fee goal set when the program was unveiled in 2021 under former prime minister Justin Trudeau. Five other provinces—Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta, British Columbia and New Brunswick—have yet to outline plans that would push fees down to the promised level. In some of these jurisdictions costs remain far above the target; parents in Richmond, B.C., for example, pay a median C$39 a day for infant care, roughly four times the intended price. While reductions have been steep in high-cost centres—Toronto families are saving about C$1,300 a month—the report warns many parents will still be paying more than $10 daily after the April 2026 deadline. The authors argue that Ottawa’s commitment to achieving an "average" fee of $10 offers too much flexibility and could leave households facing unexpected bills. They also caution that lower charges are fuelling demand faster than spaces are being created, raising the risk of “child-care deserts” unless governments expedite the expansion of public and non-profit centres and bolster workforce recruitment and retention.