Child-care fees to be cut in half for some New Brunswick families

Some New Brunswick families will see their child-care costs cut in half beginning June 1.

According to a news release from the New Brunswick government, families with preschool-aged children at designated learning centres and homes will see their out-of-pocket fees reduced by an average of 50 per cent.

“Today we are taking an important step towards reducing child-care fees for families so that every child, no matter their background, can develop the skills and receive the care they deserve from the very start,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Dominic Cardy.

The change comes as part of the New Brunswick Canada-Wide Early Learning Child Care Agreement.

“The Government of Canada’s goal is to ensure that, by the end of March 2026, all families in Canada, no matter where they live, will have access to regulated early learning and child care for an average of $10 a day,” said federal Families, Children and Social Development Minister Karina Gould.

“The reduction of fees announced today in New Brunswick is a meaningful step toward achieving that goal and will make a real difference for families across the province. We will continue to work with New Brunswick to help ensure that children have access to the high-quality, affordable and inclusive early learning and child care they need to succeed.”

A standardized low-fee model will determine the amount operators can charge families. Families with children aged five and under attending designated facilities can expect the following reductions to average out-of-pocket costs for full-day early learning and care:

• from $37.50 to $19 per day for infants in small urban and rural areas
• from $41.30 to $21 per day for infants in large urban areas
• from between $32.60 and $31.30 to $16 per day for preschool-aged children in small urban and rural areas
• from between $36.70 and $35 to $18 per day for preschool-aged children in urban areas

“By supporting our child-care sector and increasing access, affordability, quality and inclusive practices for families, we are also supporting good-quality education, small businesses and our economy, as well as building on the success of the designation program that has increased the quality of learning in facilities,” said Cardy.

Low and middle-income families supported by the Parent Subsidy program will also see a reduction in child-care costs. Depending on household income, the new low-fee model, when combined with the Parent Subsidy, could reduce a family’s child-care costs by about $14 per day or $3,900 annually per child.

The federal-provincial funding agreement invests $544 million over five years, aiming to provide New Brunswick families with $10 per day child care, on average, by 2026.