Anonymous
July 18, 2026Childcare solutions used & satisfaction
If you needed childcare in the past 10 years, what childcare solutions (e.g., childcare center/nursery, nanny, family support, adjusted work schedule, etc.) did your family end up using? Are you satisfied with the availability of childcare options in your country of employment, why or why not?
At different stages, we have relied on family support, a nanny, and ultimately daycare centers for childcare services. In general, Canada/Toronto offers a decent range of those services, but wait times can be long for affordable daycare options.
Joined multiple waitlists?
Did you join multiple childcare waitlists while searching for care?
Yes
Biggest challenges & their impact
Looking back, what were the biggest childcare challenges (e.g., long waiting times, affordability, quality, location, etc.) your family faced? How did these challenges impact your work and family life?
Probably waiting times. This essentially forced us away from a nearby affordable center toward a more distant (and more "high-end") option. This cost is OK, but the pick-up/drop-off time becomes a little cumbersome, which makes me work from home more frequently.
One thing to change
If you could change one thing about today's childcare system, what would it be? (For example: access, affordability, quality, employer or university support, emergency backup care, or anything else.)
Maybe there could be a central system to match daycare centers with families in need. The waitlists could be pooled to reduce inefficiency (there seems to be little cost to people signing up for multiple daycare centers).
Additional insights
Are there any additional comments or personal insights you would like to share about childcare?
Childcare appears to be a pain point for academics, especially pre-tenure faculty. The one-year tenure clock extension is useful, but it doesn't address the mental stress of juggling two demanding jobs (childcare + tenure). The "inflexible" nature of teaching makes it hard to navigate some of the logistics challenges of childcare.
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