We are on a 5-year journey to build a system of child care that is inclusive, affordable, and accessible. We are committed to moving forward together with the people who serve families and children.
This includes operators and Early Childhood Educators.
Quality Investment Grant (QIG)
The Quality Investment Grant (QIG) has been developed by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD) and is available to funded licensed child care centres in Nova Scotia to support fee reductions and compensation for early childhood educators (ECEs).
Funding for the QIG is provided by the Province of Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada, with funding from the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.
The QIG focuses on those who work directly with children as required to meet ratio requirements under the Early Learning and Child Care Act and Regulations.
Grant programs to fund renovations, new child care builds, and more.
The Department has launched three grant programs to support the creation of new licensed and provincially funded early learning and child care spaces across Nova Scotia.
You may be eligible* for grant funding if you are:
- An existing not-for profit child care provider
- A registered not-for-profit organization interested in becoming a child care provider
- A Municipal government or organization wholly owned by a municipality
- A University or Nova Scotia Community College
- A Mi’kmaw/Indigenous community/organization in Nova Scotia
- A person who is at least 18 years of age interested in offering child care in your home
*In cases where the applicant will not be the provider (i.e. responsible for the day-to-day provision of child care at proposed location), the applicant must partner with a not-for-profit child care provider to do so. While it is preferred that a partner be identified at the application stage, it is not required.
Thank you for your interest in this program. Applications are now closed due to full allocation of available resources.
Available to newly recruited child care providers, the Family Home Child Care Start Up Program provides a one-time grant of up to $7500 to assist with the costs of creating quality early learning and child care environments in your home.
Eligible to Apply
Those interested in becoming a Family Home Child Care provider should contact the Family Home Child Care Agency in their area.
Agencies provide support services, professional development and coaching to the provider. They provide initial and ongoing support, including administering the start up program grant.
Consider becoming a regulated child care provider!
Thank you for your interest in this program. Applications are now closed due to full allocation of available resources.
The Minor Infrastructure Program provides grant funding for the development of new not-for-profit child care spaces by completing minor renovations to existing licensed and provincially funded childcare centres or establishing new locations. These spaces focus on children 0 to 5 years of age.
Approved projects are eligible for:
- up to $1M (based on a maximum of $20,000 per space) towards eligible project costs; and
- expenses related to project design, project management, and legal fees (based on a maximum of 10% of the total project cost)
The following are eligible to apply:
- Municipal governments or organizations wholly owned by a municipality
- Universities or Nova Scotia Community College
- Mi’kmaw/Indigenous communities/organizations in Nova Scotia
- Registered not-for-profit organizations
Thank you for your interest in this program. Applications are now closed due to full allocation of available resources.
The Major Infrastructure Program provides grant funding for the development of new not-for-profit childcare spaces in licensed and provincially funded centres.
These spaces focus on children 0 to 5 years of age in communities with the highest need for childcare, prioritizing diverse and vulnerable communities.
Approved projects are eligible for:
- Leasehold/Rental Properties - A maximum of $20,000 per space up to a total project value of $1.5M
- Owned/Public Properties - A maximum of $40,000 per space up to a total project value of $3.5M
The following are eligible* to apply:
- Municipal governments or organizations wholly owned by a municipality
- Universities or the Nova Scotia Community College
- Mi’kmaw/Indigenous communities/organizations in Nova Scotia
- Registered not-for-profit organizations
*In cases where the applicant does not want to operate a child care facility, they must partner with a not-for-profit child care provider who will be responsible for day-to-day operations.
Licensed Child Care Centre Operational Support Grant
To maintain child care availability, licensed child care centres that are experiencing short-term financial pressure can apply for an Operational Support Grant through the Department of Education of Early Childhood Development (EECD).
The Operational Support Grant is made possible through the Canada–Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.
Eligibility
To qualify for this grant your child care centre must:
- hold a license to operate under the Early Learning and Child Care Act
- be compliant with current and prior year funding agreements, or have an EECD-approved compliance plan in place, AND
- be currently operating and intends to continue operating
Privacy and Confidentiality Notice
To process your application, we collect personal information about you and your organization’s staff, such as names and contact details provided in your application, as well as personal information contained in supporting documents you submit (e.g., financial statements, payroll records, leases, and invoices).
- This information is collected and managed in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Early Learning and Child Care Act and Regulations.
We also understand that financial and other information you submit may be sensitive and confidential to your organization.
- We use the information you provide to assess and verify eligibility for the Operational Support Grant, to calculate grant amounts, and to process payments.
- It may also be used for compatible purposes, such as program review and improvement. Information must be shared with other government departments to process payments and to support and maintain IT systems.
Personal and financial information will not be shared with others unless authorized or required by law. The Government of Nova Scotia uses administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect personal and confidential information from unauthorized access, use, sharing, or disposal.
Application Process
The online form usually takes about 10 minutes to complete. It includes multiple choice options to indicate financial pressures and intended use of funds.
You will also be asked to submit Supporting Evidence documents that describe your financial situation.
Before you Begin
It is important to collect the supporting documents before you begin, because the form does not save draft applications.
You will be able to browse to add your document files or can drag and drop the files.
- File types that can be submitted include: PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF, HEIC/iPhone photo
- Up to 10 files can be uploaded for each question.
- Important: Before starting the online form, ensure you will not exceed the 10-file limit per question. Please merge pages if needed.
- Each file must be under 10 MB.
Step 1: Collect Supporting Evidence documents
- Bank Statements (Required)
Bank statements from the last 3 months for all accounts.
- Simplified Income Statement (Recommended)
Download the Simplified Income Statement template (Excel)
- Relevant Documents (Recommended)
Additional documents that illustrate your financial circumstance.
Step 2: When you have all of your documents ready, click the button below to start your application.
After you Apply
An Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD) team member will review the content of the application and contact you within 3 business days to better understand your organization’s situation.
Further information may be requested to process your application.
Questions
For general questions about Operational Support, please contact your Quality Assurance Specialist. For specific questions about your application, please email ECDSGrants@novascotia.ca