A growing Canada needs supports for Canadian families who choose to have children. Robust family supports mean more people working, more jobs, and more economic growth.
Well-being and belonging among youth are key to their academic performance, as well as future development, health, success and quality of life. It is critical to Canada’s ability to prepare youth for full participation in society and the economy, and to Canada’s attractiveness to those who wish to raise a family.
Canada ranked 25th out of 36 OECD countries in 2022 on the PISA sense of belonging index.
Top 10 OECD countries on the PISA sense of belonging index.
Canada was well below the OECD average on the PISA sense of belonging index in 2022, which tracks how students report on a series of questions related to feelings of belonging at school. While Canada slightly improved on its ranking compared to 2018, students still reported low levels of belonging at school compared to many peer countries. There was significant variation across the provinces with Québec reporting the highest levels of belonging and Alberta the lowest. Students who report a stronger sense of belonging typically perform better on standardized tests on reading. Disadvantaged students are on average more likely to feel lower levels of belonging. Since the pandemic, there have been growing concerns about mental health issues including anxiety and depression among children and youth.
Poverty among children and youth can have a negative impact over the long-term. It can be a barrier to children’s development and limit access to opportunity in the future. The rate of child and youth poverty in Canada reflects the quality of living standards for families.
6.4% of Canadians under the age of 18 were in poverty in 2021.
Continued decrease in child poverty in Canada, toward the federal government goal to eliminate it.
The poverty rate for Canadians under the age of 18 increased in 2021, following a low the previous year related to temporary pandemic-related supports. The poverty rate was significantly higher for children and youth in a female single-parent household. While the poverty rate remained below pre-pandemic levels in 2021, it could continue to rise without sustained action to make progress on income security, quality of employment, child care access and affordable housing. Poverty is one of the top threats to children and youth with challenges such as food insecurity exacerbated by rising inflation.
The employment rate of mothers is a key enabler of Canada’s social and economic progress, as women’s contributions are crucial to the country’s long-term success. Women’s labour force participation contributes to increased productivity and reduced earnings inequality.
Canada ranked 12th out of 36 OECD countries on maternal employment rate in 2021.
Canada had a maternal employment rate of 76.8% in 2021.
Top 10 OECD countries on maternal employment rate.
Threshold: 10th in the OECD had a maternal employment rate of 77.1%.
The employment rate for mothers with children has increased over the past few years but is still below many peer countries. In 2022, the employment rate for women between the ages of 25 and 54 hit record highs, largely due to an increase among women with young children. However, the employment rate of mothers in one-parent families is typically lower than among mothers with a spouse or partner. There is the potential for this rate to increase as the Canada-wide early learning and child care system continues to be implemented, as participation of mothers in the labour market has been linked to recent improvements in early learning and child care.
Paid parental leave can help to support maternal and infant well-being. It supports new parents and particularly mothers to temporarily exit employment with job security and income support. Robust leave options can contribute to supporting Canadians’ choices on family size.
Among new parents (outside of Québec) with insurable employment, 89.3% received maternity or parental benefits and 29.9% of spouses or partners reported receiving or planning to claim benefits in 2021.
Increasing trend in uptake of parental leave for new parents outside of Québec.
Similar to previous years, close to 90% of new parents with insurable employment (which was 82.9% of new parents in 2021) reported they received maternity or parental benefits in Canada (outside of Québec). Uptake is close to 100% in Québec, which has a separate system with lower eligibility requirements and mandatory participation by self-employed individuals. There was also a notable increase in spouses and partners taking parental leave across Canada in 2021, related to an increase in the number of weeks available to new parents sharing benefits. However, considering all parents – not only those with insurable employment – parental leave uptake rates are lower across Canada. For example, mothers who are immigrants or Indigenous are less likely to take leave, as well as those who are self-employed. Other factors that can influence uptake of parental leave include wage replacement levels and whether benefits are dependent on use by a partner. With low wage replacement rates compared to other OECD countries, Canada’s approach falls short.
Robust systems for quality and accessible early childhood education and care can support children’s well-being and learning. They can help parents, particularly mothers, enter or re-enter the labour force. They can also contribute to supporting Canadians’ choices on family size and newcomer families’ transition to Canada.
There were regulated full- or part-time child care centre spaces for 28.4% of children aged 0 to 5 in 2021.
Increased regulated spaces for children aged 0 to 5.
The proportion of full- or part-time regulated child care centre spaces for children 0 to 5 slightly increased in recent years but remains well below levels needed. Canada is now in the midst of moving forward on a commitment to build a Canada-wide early learning and child care system. In early 2024, the federal commitment was enshrined in law. Many provinces have recently made progress in substantially reducing fees for child care which is a positive sign. However, the reduction in parent fees has pushed up demand for child care, with challenges finding a space increasing across the country. Barriers remain to expanding regulated spaces including a lack of qualified educators to meet the demand. Challenges accessing regulated child care are even greater for newcomers, populations with disabilities, low-income families, racialized populations and Indigenous people.
