This paper examines the satisfaction levels of parents who have participated in Children First: School Choice Trust, a program that gives grants to lower income Ontario families so that their children can receive private (independent) elementary school education. It compares the satisfaction levels of these families with those of the families who applied for but did not receive a grant from Children First.

The primary purpose of this study is to determine whether parents who applied for a Children First grant believed that their children benefited from having received one. This study analyzes the survey responses of Children First grant recipients to determine whether lower income parents who applied for a Children First grant were more or less satisfied with their children’s education at a private school than they likely would have been if their children had attended public school. The study then compares the answers of families whose children attended private school, with or without a grant, to see if there are differences between the responses of these two groups of families.

Considering the responses of all parents surveyed, this study concludes that parents with limited income who desire that their children attend independent school are more satisfied with their children’s education when they are able to send their children to such a school.