Job prospects Parent's Helper in Ontario

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "parent's helper" in Ontario or across Canada.

Job opportunities in Ontario

These outlooks were updated on December 11, 2024.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be good for Home child care providers (NOC 44100) in Ontario for the 2024-2026 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
• A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.

What Types of Employers Are Out There?

• Child day-care services, which include providers working on contract with licensed home child care agencies
• Private households
• Self-employment

What are the Main Trends Affecting Employment?

• Generally, steady opportunities as more parents participate in the workforce
• Provincial wage enhancement investments for home child care providers

What Skills Do I Need to Succeed?

• First Aid and CPR certificates are usually required

What Other Information Will I Find Helpful?

• This occupation is associated with positions such as child care provider, live-in caregiver, and nanny, under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program
• Home child care providers may be required at various hours including evenings and weekends to meet family needs, therefore flexibility may be needed
• The Ontario Ministry of Education licenses private home day care agencies, which then offer contracts to individual caregivers to provide child care.

Here are some key facts about Home child care providers in Ontario:

• Approximately 9,950 people work in this occupation.
• Home child care providers mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Social assistance (NAICS 624): 52%
  • Private households (NAICS 814): 41%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 67% compared to 81% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 33% compared to 19% for all occupations
• 40% of home child care providers work all year, while 60% work only part of the year, compared to 63% and 37% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 35 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
• 53% of home child care providers are self-employed compared to an average of 15% for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: less than 5% compared to 52% for all occupations
  • Women: more than 95% compared to 48% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: 17% compared to 9% for all occupations
  • high school diploma or equivalent: 33% compared to 25% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 7% compared to 8% for all occupations
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 23% compared to 22% for all occupations
  • bachelor's degree: 17% compared to 24% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 13% for all occupations

Breakdown by region

Explore job prospects in Ontario by economic region.

Source Labour Market Information | Prospects Methodology

Job prospects elsewhere in Canada

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "parent's helper" Home child care providers (NOC 44100) or across Canada.

Learn more