'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
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
What Canadians think of the latest Liberal budget
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Teacher shortages see some Ontario high school students awarded perfect grades on midterm exams
Students at a high school in York Region have been awarded perfect marks on their midterm exams in three subjects – not because of their academic performances however, but because they had no teacher.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Her fiance has been in prison for 49 years. She's trying to free him before it's too late
Christine Roess is a retired consultant. Ezra Bozeman has spent the last 49 years in prison, serving a life sentence for a murder he says he didn’t commit. Against the odds, the two fell in love.