Changes made to N.S. child-care subsidy program will make it easier for families to qualify: province
An early childhood educator reads to children. (Communications Nova Scotia / File)
Changes to the child-care subsidy program in Nova Scotia have been made in an effort to make it easier for families to apply and qualify.
Effective immediately, eligibility criteria for the subsidy will now hinge solely on family income and no longer consider assets, like savings.
Households with an annual income of $70,000 or less remain eligible and will now also be able to save for things like a down payment on a home while benefiting from the subsidy.
“These changes – like so many actions within our child-care transformation – make child care accessible to more families,” said Becky Druhan, minister of Education and Early Childhood Development.
“Families will now benefit from more straightforward eligibility criteria and be able to apply faster, confident they can balance affording child care with other financial goals.”
A news release from the province Wednesday says the program is also moving from a paper form to an online application, which will reduce the administrative burden and decrease turnaround time for processing.
“A significant portion of subsidy applicants are of a generation that prefers to work online, rather than in paper. Moving to an online form is more favourable for them generally and will help them submit applications quicker," said Trina Fraser, executive director of the East Preston Day Care Centre.
The Nova Scotia child-care subsidy program pays a portion of eligible families' child-care expenses for children aged 12 and younger.
The annual budget for the program, which the province says currently supports more than 4,000 families, is $25.8 million.
More information on the child-care subsidy program can be found online.
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