British Expats - Child Care cost/waiting list in Toronto

Hi everyone,

I really need some practical info re child car cost in Toronto. My partner has been offered a job there, and we are currently trying to decide whether it is a good move. I have never been to Canada so its education system is totally foreign to me.

We have two kids, my eldest will turn 5 in July, and my son just turned 3 this month. We currently live in France, and they both attend the same public school - we pay around 300 pounds/months for both of them.

My understanding is that, should we move to Canada, my daughter would be able to start primary school next September, but my son would have to go to a pre school/kindergarden.

I read some reports about the costs of child care for pre schoolers: am I right in assuming that it would cost us around 1,300/month at least for my son? Also, I read that there were waiting lists, and am wondering about the waiting time to secure a place (months? years?).

Re my daughter, we would probably look at public schools, but if I understand correctly, we would have to pay for after school time - I tried to get some info about the price (and the potential waiting list) but did not find much: I assume it will cost us at least 40 dollars/day.

On a practical side, I really don't want to find myself in the position of having to care for the kids for months, waiting for a place in a pre school while my partner is working. This idea, added to the overall estimated costs of child care is really putting us off at the moment, even though we were initially enthusiastic about this opportunity (and even though my partner's salary would be comfortable).

So: how much does care really costs for kids this age? How long are the waiting lists, and how early does one need to apply for a place?

Any input or info would be invaluable!