Child care query
 

Hi

Looking for a bit of information on what you are entitled too with regards to child benefit, childcare benefit or allowances etc in Canada

A bit of background I am by no way looking to rely on these, and I don't rely on these in the UK. I am just interested to know what are the entitlements.

In the Uk me and my wife both work, we get standard child benefit for 2 kids about £140 a month, tax free childcare vouchers through work up to the value of £243 a month each, i.e you pay these off your salary before tax but only up to £243 a month the rest is taxable.

That is the only things we are entitled too until they are 3 and you are able to get 3hrs a day at pre-school nursery.

My question is if we were both to work, me full time, my wife 3 days a week, 2 kids in nursery 3 days a week what would we be entitled to? CCTB and UCCB? Any others?

My wife is citizen by descent, and the rest of us are PR.

Re: Child care query
 

A lot of it depends on your income too. I am not sure about the amounts but I think there is $160pm per child under 6 goes down to $60 per month per child 6-18 - this extra $60 is new this year (UCCB). The Child tax credit is worked out based on income, ours started once we filed our first tax - and it was backdated.
Childcare is a deductible when you file your taxes.
I found childcare where I am to be relatively less expensive than I was paying in the UK - but when they are at school, the childcare for the summer months really adds up for camps over the 2 and a half month holiday.
Here is a calculator to work out some of the benefits.

Child and family benefits calculators

Re: Child care query
 

The UCCB is currently $100 per month per child under 6 increasing to $160 in July this year although the government will backpay the additional $60 per month from Jan-Jun once the increase kicks in. (You pay tax on all this income when you file your taxes.)
We also applied for CCTB which is dependent on total income....let me put it this way, we both earn decent (but not extravagant) incomes and we didn't get much at all. It was so small that the whole year worth of benefits was paid in one lump sum.

For child care, we are getting receipts from our home daycare so we will claim it on our taxes next year to claw back some pennies that will help.

You can also claim any sports/art activities you put your kids in on your taxes which will help with a refund. We're not at that stage yet with our child so I don't know how good that is yet.

Re: Child care query
 

Hi

Thanks for the information.

So I would be entitled to both UCCB and CCTB?

Is UCCB means tested or is that standard $160 (from July) for all with kids under 6?

So CCTB is means tested?

You can also get tax back on childcare fees is that right?

Re: Child care query
 

uccb is not means tested - CTC is. As per the post above, we have 2 children and both work full time - we don't qualify for CTC.
When you complete your tax return, you childcare can be used as a deductable - I am not sure how much you get back.

Re: Child care query
 

Childcare (Daycare, Nanny etc) expenses are tax deductible upto $7000 per child per year. Inevitably childcare expenses will be more than $7k per child but thats all you can claim.

Re: Child care query
 

so UUCB is a standard $160 a month fee.

I would be full time, my wife 3 days a week prob joint income of $80k, I doubt I'd qualify for CCTB or not much.

I can claim the tax back on my child care fees up to $7000 per child. My childcare fees will appear to be about $9360 per child

Re: Child care query
 

That's about right. With all due respect and without wishing to tell you how to live your lives, on that joint income, childcare is going consume a large percentage of your income. If it were me, we'd be doing the maths on whether it's worth one partner having that 3 day a week job or being a stay at home parent.

Re: Child care query
 

lol I am starting to think the same myself, I have a lot of figures down so just trying to get a feel for the childcare cost.

We are spoilt in the UK as we pay for 2 days per child a week just now, my wife works 4 days and grandparents help out 2days and my wife looks after them the day she is off.

The childcare bill is without a doubt going to play a massive part on what we can afford.

I have a look at the calculators and on joint $80k it appears about $133 a month, so total would be 160x2+133=$453 a month + tax free allowance up too $7000?

Re: Child care query
 

If $133 is what the calculators tell you that you'd get in CCTB? Then yes. The tax credit is going to worth maybe $3k or so for you as an estimate. You'd get that back as a lump sum after filing your tax return. So it doesn't help in monthly cashflow so much!

Re: Child care query
 

What I receive in the UK goes to my kids accounts, so I was hoping to do the same in Canada, so lump sum is prob better.

On those figures then total is about $8500 a year ($700 a month).

It's the near $19k a year on child fee's that are worrying

P.S

Is that estimate of $3k on one allowance or 2 kids allowance?

Re: Child care query
 

That seems like a lot of money. Where are you going to be living? Is there any way to reduce that?

We have one child who will be going to nursery 2 days a week in fall - she will be going for 2hrs at a time to the nursery (just as a preparation for Kindergarten -which will not be full days either) and continuing at her current home day-care before and after.
That is going to cost just $280 a month.

Re: Child care query
 

My husband and I were just talking about this. Average in the GTA seems to be about $60/day or so. IF you assume full-time care for 50 weeks, that's $15,000 per year.

Re: Child care query
 

Wow, shows you how much provinces differ - $60 a day is very high in comparison to MB then for day-care. (although if we put her in likes of Montessori full time then that works out at $900 a month)
I think he said 3 days a week though.

Re: Child care query
 

Oh god, don't get me started on childcare costs! HydroKids (downtown TO, and it was excellent!), was around 1300 per month. for some clarity, mortgage payment was between 1300 - 2100 (refinanced it so it got lower) a month.

The cost was partly worth it, as it was very close to one of our workplaces, however, small creature, TTC, and GO, doesn't always generate a calm and relaxing atmosphere.

He's now in one closer to home, and I believe it is less expensive, but still a lot of money.

To be honest, I'd rather pay a lot and know he is being well looked after than to pay less and not be totally secure in that.

Re: Child care query
 

Paying a lot more does not necessarily ensure better care though.
I'm paying less but am totally secure in the fact that she is being very well looked after - in fact the person providing care was an ECE before she had her own family, and was recommended to me by a teacher who sent her own kids to her.

Re: Child care query
 

:unsure: Sorry don't know what those abbreviations mean?

Re: Child care query
 

TTC = Toronto Transit Commission = the common name of the general transit network in Toronto

GO = The commuter rail service in the GTA

Re: Child care query
 

Lots of people I know in Calgary pay immigrant live in caregivers to look after their children. When I ask them why they don't pay Canadians to perform such work the reply is almost always, "That would be far too expensive". They then go on to say how their little cherubs are the most important things in the world to them, as they plan an evening with their OH without the children.

The daycare centres downtown frequently walk around the +15 with an adult at the front of a line of little darlings dressed in orange t-shirts and an adult at the rear. I smile when I imagine how happy their parents must be to pay such an amount for their children to resemble Guantanamo inmates :rofl:

Re: Child care query
 

Ah thanks. :thumbup:
Do we know what city the OP is in?
Home day-care may not be for everyone but just putting it out there as an option - if you research properly then it can work very well.
We actually had our little one in a centre previously but we didn't like their regimented approach towards little kids.
Where she is now also acts as a second family to her, which is important too I feel when she doesn't have any other family in the country.

Re: Child care query
 

I worked the figures out on $60 a day over 52 weeks x 3 days x 2 kids. This is for the equivalent of nursery in the uk 8am-6pm

This is $18720 a year.

Re: Child care query
 

Where are you moving to? Childcare costs vary across the country. How old re your children?

This website will give you take home pay after deductions which should give you more of an idea of income you will have.....

Tax Take Home Pay Calculator for 2015.xls

Re: Child care query
 

I just took $60 as a ballpark figure from some research I had done. I'd expect costs to vary but at the moment we haven't fully decide.

The options just now are Toronto (20-25km from city) or Calgary, really depends on work opportunities. We would love to look at Vancouver but I cant see it due to cost of living and housing there.

My kids when we are aiming to move will be 3.5 and 1.5

Re: Child care query
 

In ontario, children go to kindergarten around age 4. Children born jan - dec 2011 will go to JK in September 2015 - so that is something else to condsider when looking at childcare. Some schools offer extended day programs at a fair cost.

We are in London ON and childcare costs for home day care seem to be around $35 per day. I am not sure about nurseries, but by googling you can probably get a better idea by calling a few. Nearer to Toronto would be more expensive - I have no idea about Calgary.

Re: Child care query
 

sorry what jk? What is the set up with Kindergarten is this school hrs 9-3, like preschool in the uk?

Home day care, so is that going to someones house, like a childminder in the uk

Re: Child care query
 

JK - junior kindergarten. School hours - ours was 9-330. It is not compulsory to send your children, but the option is there.

Home day care is just like childminder in the UK

Re: Child care query
 

Yeah we would need full day childcare to cover 8-5, or a wrap around service like they have in the Uk if nursery and preschool are in same catchment.

I haven't used home day care in the uk only nursery but I will look into it for canada also

Re: Child care query
 

Our school had a before and after school club - so we were covered from 730am - 6pm. It wasn't very expensive - and included breakfast before school and a snack after school. Check with the school boards in the areas you are looking at.

I used both childminder and nursery in the UK - only the after school club here though. I guess it all comes down to meeting the care providers and seeing which you feel most comfortable with and which will suit your family's needs better.