Big Ideas seminar series

The Economic Returns of Accessible and Affordable Child Care in Canada

Thursday, March 12, 2026 12:00 pm - 1:15 pm EST Online

Event description

Affordable childcare has quickly become one of Canada’s most consequential economic policies. Since the expansion of universal childcare in 2021, affordability has improved substantially, but access remains highly uneven across regions and demographic groups. This seminar will examine:

• Access and affordability progress across provinces and territories

• The labour market and fiscal returns of universal childcare

• The role of workforce shortages in limiting system expansion

• Implications for future childcare and labour market policies

Speakers

Ali Shariati

Ali Shariati

Economist, CSLS

Ali has led several research projects at CSLS, including work on early childhood educator wages and studies of productivity performance in Canada’s construction and transportation sectors.

 

Before joining CSLS in 2023, Ali was a PhD student and research assistant in the Economics Department at Western University. Since 2021, he has taught economics courses at Western University, King’s University College and Fanshawe College.

 

Ali holds an M.A. in Economics from Western University and a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology in Iran.

Resources