'It's the families who are going to pay': Some N.S. operators say the push for $10/day daycare could backfire
Some private daycare operators in Nova Scotia say parents could end up paying a lot more for their services unless the province amends an agreement with Ottawa for $10 a day childcare.
As CTV News reported Monday, operators say the few options they've been presented would either mean going out of business or losing government subsidies.
"We are encouraging the premier to make this right," said Lisa Beddow, president and CEO of the FFL Group of Companies, which operates about 420 daycare spaces in several locations.
The Rankin Government originally signed on to the Federal Childcare Program shortly before the 2021 summer election.
Details on the $10/day daycare goal have been sorted out individually with each province, including New Brunswick, which pledged $53 million as its share shortly before Christmas.
Nova Scotia operators say they were stunned last week to learn they were limited to three options for participating in the program: stay private, become non-profit, or opt out and lose their subsidies.
Beddow says the first two options will amount to pennies on the dollar.
"It's about two per cent of our investment is what we've been offered. And, if we decide to go non-profit, which is Option B, it's about four per cent," said Beddow, who says she's been leading a group of about 194 private operators in the fight.
As it stands, many are leaning towards staying private, and raising their rates to make-up for lost revenue.
Beddow predicts this will make $10/day daycare hard to find.
"It's the families who are going to pay," she said.
Understandably, the $10 goal is popular with parents.
"When I heard $10 a day, I told my mom I was never moving back to the states," said Dana Jackson, a young Halifax mother who's originally from Connecticut.
With a 16-month-old daughter in daycare, and a new baby due in less than a month, Jackson worries about the bigger picture, and keeping the exceptional care her daughter gets now.
"The quality, if that went down, I think I would be super unhappy with our provider for sure," said Jackson.
In a late afternoon statement to CTV News, a spokesperson for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development said government is still working on the file, but made no promises to amend the deal.
"Our commitment to families is to provide affordable, accessible, inclusive and high quality childcare, and we will continue to work towards that commitment through the NS-Canada Wide Agreement," said spokesperson Lynette Macleod via email.
"We recognize the sector’s expertise, knowledge and passion for providing quality childcare. That is why we issued an Expression of Interest in October and used the valuable feedback to inform options for businesses under the new system. In December, businesses were offered $15,000 to access professional services to help them make decisions that are in their best interest. Ultimately, this is the beginning of the conversation. We recognize there is a lot of information to process and we will work hand-in-hand with licensed for-profit childcare providers to ensure a smooth transition so that they understand what these changes mean for their business and how they can ultimately become part of the new Canada-Wide Child Care system."
Unconfirmed reports suggest the issue is on the agenda for Wednesday's cabinet meeting.
Operators say, if it's not, there will be a lot of rough water ahead for government, and ultimately parents, who depend on their services.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.