Province and feds create 3-year early childcare action plan

A $440 million action plan for early learning and childcare in Nova Scotia.

The feds and province announced a three-year agreement Friday in Halifax.

The goal is to add 9,500 new childcare spaces and make the fee for parents at 10-dollars per-day by 2026.

Federal minister of families, children and social development Jenna Sudds says they’re on a successful road together.

“Whether you live in Halifax, Hopewell, Hunt’s Point or other rural areas, you’ll have access to high quality early-learning and childcare,” said Sudds.

Since 2021, the government says they’ve reduced fees by 50 per cent, created 3,800 new spaces and bumped up wages for early childhood educators.

Nova Scotia’s education minister Becky Druhan says they’ve been working hard.

“We are well on our way to our goal of 9,500 more spaces. We are saving Nova Scotian families thousands of dollars a year,” said Druhan.

Druhan says they are also offering competitive wages and benefits to early childhood educators.

The governments agreed it’s important for retention of ECEs, as there is a wait-list for early childcare across the province.