Province awards grants to create new child-care spaces

Child care centres across the province are converting 570 spaces to support families with infants, toddlers and after school care, thanks to federal-provincial funding.

Funding was announced on April 19 to help 51 centres in the province, and the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development said it included an increase in support from $2 million to $2.7 million to meet the changing needs of communities.

Included in the announcement for this region was the Little Peoples Place King Street/ St. Andrews locations in Shelburne County, said to be receiving grants of $11,742 and $14,060.

A new infant incentive, announced in March, will ensure the 144 new spaces for infants remain affordable. Centres will also convert 346 spaces for toddlers and 80 spaces for pre-primary wraparound care.

“Families want child care options that are affordable, accessible and inclusive, and government is responding to that need in our communities,” said Zach Churchill, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development. “We have increased our original investment to meet this demand and create more spaces for children and infants.”

In January, the province signed a three-year, $35 million early learning and child care funding agreement with the Government of Canada. A portion of that funding has been designated to support this and other initiatives to grow the regulated child care sector for children, families and operators.

Since signing the agreement, the province has changed Nova Scotia’s Child Care Subsidy Program to make regulated child care more accessible and affordable for more families and will invest an additional $6.9 million in 2018-19, to create up to 1,000 new regulated child care spaces for toddlers and infants in communities that need them most.