Nova Scotia’s plan to have $10-a-day child care is moving forward ahead of schedule with the province announcing today that child care fees will be reduced by 25 per cent by April 1, 2022.
That works out to about $200 a month per child in licensed child care facilities.
The announcement was made jointly by Primer Minister Justin Trudeau, Premier Tim Houston, and NS Early Childhood Education Minister Becky Druhan.
The Prime Minister and Premier announced the fee decrease will begin as of April 1, 2022, and be retroactive to January 1, 2022. This will apply to parents with children up to six years old in regulated child care spaces that are part of the Canada‑wide early learning and child care system.
Today’s announcement is an initial step in reducing child care fees for Nova Scotian families by 50 percent by the end of 2022 and achieving an average of $10‑a‑day care by 2025-26.
While the news is certainly exciting for Nova Scotians, Prime Minister Trudeau was keen to speak about its national implications.
“All families should have access to affordable child care. That is why we’re making $10‑a‑day child care a reality across the country. The reduction of fees announced today in Nova Scotia is an important step forward to delivering on our Canada-wide early learning and child care system, which will save families thousands of dollars each year, create jobs, grow the middle class, and give our kids the best start in life.”
As part of the agreement with the federal government fees will be further reduced by half by the end of the year, though the date in which that is implemented is still to be determined.
Gradual price reductions were always part of the implementation plan but today’s adjustment came ahead of schedule according to the Premier.
“Reducing the cost of child care by 25 percent will make a real difference for families and caregivers of young children, and Nova Scotians thinking about starting a family,” Houston said. “Cost can be a barrier to accessing quality child care and may prevent parents from joining or rejoining the workforce. Acting now to reduce fees will help provide relief as we move toward a 50 per cent, on average, reduction in fees by the end of the year.”
To date, the Government of Canada has reached early learning and child care agreements with the governments of British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Yukon, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, New Brunswick, and the Northwest Territories.
