Because the subsidy parents receive for child care depends on the option they choose, securing a subsidized spot feels like winning the lottery: it represents over $8,000 more in government support versus what a parent using an unsubsidized centre gets. As for families who prefer to take care of their children themselves, they receive about $18,000 less per child every year in transfers than a family which has a spot in a CPE — despite the fact they aren’t burdening the system.