Nova Scotia is transforming the delivery of child care through the Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.
Through the Agreement, Nova Scotia will receive $605 million in federal funding over five years, allowing the province to significantly reduce costs for families and expand access to more quality spaces by 2026.
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Information for Families
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Information for Operators
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Information for Early Childhood Educators
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Early Learning and Child Care Engagement Table
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Highlights of the Agreement and Action Plan
The Canada-wide early learning and child care agreement is a Federal-provincial agreement which includes a $605 million federal investment and a $40 million provincial investment from 2021-2022 to 2025-2026. Families will:
| ? Have child care fees reduced, on average, by 25 percent by April 1, 2022. |
| ? See a further decrease of 25 per cent by December 2022, reducing fees by a total of 50 per cent, on average. |
| Pay $10 a day, on average, per child in child care by 2026. |
| 1,500 new early learning and child care spaces coming by the end of 2023 (updated). |
| 9,500 new early learning and child care spaces will open by March 31, 2026. |
| Enhanced before and after care options for 3-5-year-olds using schools and school resources. |
| We are continuing to implement Nova Scotia Excellence in Early Childhood Education Workforce Strategy, which will result in higher wages for early childhood educators as well as benefits and further professionalization of the sector. |